Gillings, Joan H., Center for Dramatic Art.
This facility, located on Country Club Road adjacent to the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery, is the home of the Department of Dramatic Art and PlayMakers Repertory Company. The building has offices, classrooms, rehearsal spaces, production shops, and two theaters. The Paul Green Theatre, which seats 500, is named in memory of Paul Green, the Pulitzer Prize—winning playwright and human rights activist who was a UNC alumnus and professor. The theater features an innovative thrust stage designed by renowned scenic artist Desmond Heeley. The Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre, a performance space with flexible seating, hosts student productions, the PRC2 series, as well as guest shows. The space's name recognizes the support of local philanthropist Betty Kenan for the performing arts at UNC. The opening of the center in 1998 meant that for the first time all of the UNC Department of Dramatic Art operations were together in one location. The building was named the Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art in 2017 in recognition of Gilling's support for performing arts programming at UNC—Chapel Hill. A resident of Chapel Hill and Wilmington, North Carolina, Gillings has been a committed supporter of programs both at Carolina and at the University of North Carolina—Wilmington.