Performance Creative Spaces
Thanks to the generous gifts from Johnny Carson, the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film is teeming with newly built and revitalized facilities that blend the historic with the cutting-edge. Our campus offers unbridled access to the spaces you need to find and develop your vision.
Temple Building
One of the most historic and beautiful buildings on campus, the Temple Building is home to the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film and the Nebraska Repertory Theatre. The building contains the elegant 317-seat Howell Theatre, two flexible black box theatres and multiple classroom and administrative spaces.
Facilities in Temple Building
Howell Theatre
The Howell Theatre is a newly renovated 317-seat proscenium theatre named for UNL theatre founder H. Alice Howell. Located on the first floor, the Howell Theatre is the school’s primary showcase theatre for student and Nebraska Repertory Theatre productions.
Studio Theatre/Sound Stage
The Studio Theatre is a new, state-of-the-art 160-200-seat flexible black box theatre and sound stage for Theatrix productions (UNL’s student run theatre), hands-on classroom learning opportunities, rehearsals and more.
Lab Theatre
The Lab Theatre is a 120-200-seat black box theatre available to students for additional hands-on learning and production opportunities.
Costume Shop
The Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film contains a robust facility for designing, creating and reimaging costumes for productions of all styles and sizes.
Scene Shop
The Scene Shop offers ample space and materials for the construction of classical and cutting-edge production design, encouraging collaboration across traditional and new-media practices to innovate new ways of storytelling for the stage.
Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts
The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts is home to the Carson School’s emerging media arts program and the Glenn Korff School of Music’s dance program. Opened in 2019, the Center was designed to fuel creativity with the latest in media arts technology. From traditional filmmaking and audio labs to motion and data capture spaces, students have access to a comprehensive suite of resources.
The Center includes flexible spaces and resources across disciplines, including:
Flexible Labs for Film Shoots
Motion and Data Capture Labs
Audio Lab and Two Dance Studios
Meeting Spaces and Collaborative Zones
Offices and Common Areas
The Carson Center is adjacent to downtown Lincoln and its vibrant arts community. The Center frequently hosts First Friday events, masterclasses and other student exhibition opportunities.
Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center
The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center is home to the oldest independent film program in the state, boasting two state-of-the-art movie theaters that showcase the latest arthouse films from around the world and serve as screening rooms for film classes. The building also houses top tier editing suites for the Emerging Media Arts Program, a film research library and storage archive, offices and concessions.
Lied Center for Performing Arts and Johnny Carson Theatre
The Lied Center for Performing Arts is a renowned performing arts venue that attracts the world's finest performing artists and shows to its stage. It also provides opportunities for student artists to perform alongside and learn from seasoned professionals. It also houses the Johnny Carson Theatre, a 216-seat flexible black box used for smaller performances and showcases.
