JOHNSON CITY – (Oct. 18, 2021) One month from today, the Bert C. Bach Theatre at East Tennessee State University’s Martin Center for the Arts will open its doors.
“Our students and faculty have been anticipating this day for years, while others have been waiting decades for this moment,” said Karen Brewster, chair of ETSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance. “We have a truly state-of-the-art black box theater, and we are so excited to welcome our patrons and the community to our new home.”
The Bach Theatre opens Thursday, Nov. 18, with the comedy “Men on Boats,” which kicks off Theatre and Dance’s 2021-22 season. This Jaclyn Backhaus comedy tells the “true(ish)” story of 10 explorers – a one-armed captain and crew of insane yet loyal volunteers – who set out to chart the course of the Colorado River during an 1869 expedition, writes Dramatists Play Service.
As a black box theater, the theater is designed to be a flexible space that can “be
transformed into whatever we want it to be,” Brewster said. 
“For example, this season will begin as the Colorado River during “Men on Boats,” and then become a family living room in “Straight White Men,” and then transform to various locations across the mountains of North Carolina in “Bright Star,” adds ETSU faculty member Cara Harker, who is directing “Men on Boats.”
The theater also allows for flexible seating for the audience. For “Men on Boats,” the audience will be seated in the center of the Grand Canyon where the action takes place, but for other shows arrangements can be made for theater-in-the-round or the traditional proscenium setup.”
“We have the technical capacity to do just about anything,” Brewster said. “Our lighting capabilities have no boundaries, and we worked with our consultants to create acoustic settings that are ideal for all of our performances. Plus, the specialized sprung floor setting provides support for our dancers and actors as they move across the stage.”
Located adjacent to the theater, which is also a classroom for theatre and dance students, are the costume shop and scene shop, as well as dressing rooms and a green room.
The theater is named in honor of longtime ETSU leader Dr. Bert C. Bach, who retired from the university in 2020 where he spent nearly 26 years as the institution’s chief academic officer. Bach has been a champion for the arts at ETSU and the region.
Tickets for “Men on Boats” will go on sale soon. For more information about upcoming ETSU Theatre and Dance activities, call 423-439-6524 or email Brewster at brewster@etsu.edu.
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