Construction of Mary Moody Northen

As early as 1966, Mangum and Brother Dunstan had felt the need for a new facility in which to stage the productions of the growing theater department. Brother Dunstan argued for a traditional proscenium stage, which he believed would offer students more directly applicable professional experience. Mangum advocated for an arena stage, which he felt made a better case for the unique advantages of theater over television:

“Arena staging, I believe, is also the answer to the competition of television. The TV screen is a smaller, more intimate version of the motion-picture screen. Arena is a smaller, more intimate version of the proscenium stage. TV is rapidly taking the place of the fading motion-picture palaces. I believe arena theatres can take the place of the dwindling proscenium theatres. All we have to do to combat TV is to produce exciting plays so well that our contour-chair-bound friends can no longer sit placidly at home.”

Ultimately, Mangum prevailed, and the theater was designed with an arena stage, thanks in large part to the munificence of Mary Moody Northen and the Moody Foundation.