Robinson Theater has been around for over 50 years.
Browsing over Criterion articles from the past puts into perspective how far the university has come just within the past 55 years. Robinson Theater has been a center of attraction that draws the community onto campus to enjoy many acts of entertainment. With the facility now aging, many questions have arisen about the history of the theater and the future of it as well. The most surprising aspect of a Criterion print from September 27, 1967, is perhaps the aerial photo of campus and the grassy lot that existed before construction began on the theater. The photo itself proves evident the humble beginnings of Robinson as its funding wasn’t even a sure thing back in ‘67.
Discussions back then mentioned the “Fine Arts’’ building as a whole and bidding for the construction was to open up that same year. Unfortunately plans hit a wall shortly after the bidding opened as funds were too low to complete the initial project.
The then Mesa State College would need to find additional funding of nearly $50,000 to even break ground. Construction began quickly once funding came from the Federal Government, State government and Mesa College itself.
A little over a year after the library was completed, Mesa’s Fine Arts building was finished in the fall of 1968. The late 60s was a period of growth for the college with the brand new Fine Arts building embodying it. For the next few decades the facility would stand to be known as just the Mesa State College Theater and Walker Walter Fine Arts Building.
The name current students are all familiar with now, Robinson Theater, came to be in spring of 1993 when it was renamed to honor 27 year veteran professor of theater and communications, Bill Robinson.
With the facility now over 50 years old, the questions now turn to the future of the outdated theater. Plans to rebuild Robinson Theater are in the works and that means questions about the name have come up as well.
“I haven’t heard if the name will stay Robinson Theater. I imagine that any suggestions of changing it would be challenged because Bill Robinson was such an important figure to the history of theater here,” Special Collections and Archives Librarian Amber D’Ambrosio said.
Plenty of factors go into naming a specific facility and Robinson Theater is no different. Whether a new theater is built or major renovations take place may determine the future of the name.
“I don’t know what the administration will ultimately decide if they’re able to build a new theater. A lot may depend on donors and other factors,” D’Ambrosio said.
Obviously there are still plenty of internal factors that need to be answered before
deciding on the fate of the current theater, but the future seems exciting for Robinson. A brand new theater would be a major asset for the region with countless positive effects.
“The architects and facilities people have told us that [it] probably is a building that’s not salvageable, that the best approach is to actually tear it down and build a new one,” President John Marshall said.
Grand Junction being located between two major cities (Salt Lake and Denver) is also an asset that Marshall is hoping to take advantage of. The location of Grand Junction in general is isolated with not much between, so constructing a brand new theater for the Grand Valley would be special.
“If we could do that and build a really outstanding asset [for] all of Western Colorado, think about where you go to the theater: you go to Salt Lake or Denver to go to a real outstanding performing art space,” Marshall said.
Also exciting about a new facility is the potential to encompass all of Western Colorado and include the community that surrounds the university. It would add to the regional significance of the Grand Valley.
“We can bring in traveling shows between big cities, as well as come alongside and really a world class faculty and an amazing group of students over there for that program,” Marshall said.
The future of Robinson Theater is still undecided, but plans are in the works and something major could arrive here on campus.
