Missouri State University breaks ground on amphitheater

Missouri State University in Springfield has broken ground on a $6.4 million amphitheater that will be named for actor John Goodman, an alumnus of the school.

The St. Louis Business Journal reports that the John Goodman Amphitheatre will feature a permanent stage and 350 removable seats on one acre of the university campus. In addition, the project includes an arts park for students.

The new structure will serve as a permanent home for the university’s theater company, Tent Theatre, which has performed in a tent on campus dating back to the early 1960s. 

Goodman, a St. Louis native and a 1975 alumnus of Missouri State, has served as the campaign chair for the university's Onward Upward fundraising campaign.

"I came here in the 1970s to play football," Goodman says on the Missouri State website. "It didn’t work out. Instead, I got cast in a small role in a play. I was smitten. I lost myself in a passion I didn’t know I had. I was so fortunate to find that passion at Missouri State, where there were great, caring people to teach me. They opened doors for me."

The project is being funded in part by more than $3 million in private gifts.

“Creating an art park and permanent amphitheater will take our historic Tent Theatre to the next level," said Clif Smart, president of Missouri State University. "It will also provide a robust gathering spot on our campus for other productions and community events."

The architect is Patterhn Ives, and the contractor is Carson-Mitchell.