'The Crown Jewel of the Local Arts Scene'

Ticket sales are obvious evidence of the center’s success, with close to 42,000 sold during this past season. But there are other measures, too. The center sold about 3,100 boxes of popcorn. Twenty-eight semi trucks were unloaded at the center’s doors. And 91 community volunteers worked over 3,000 hours to create an atmosphere of hospitality. 

Executive Director Jennifer Clements says volunteers not only usher patrons to their seats and hand out programs, they make sure that every person in attendance feels welcomed. 

“That could even mean noticing that a child’s view is blocked by a tall person in front and bringing that child a booster seat,” Clements said.  

Although the legion of volunteers is large, Clements added that the center is always in need of more. The only requirement is that the volunteer be over 18 years of age. Training sessions are offered in the summertime. 

This past spring was the third Broadway season at the ETSU Martin Center. In addition to performances of “Pretty Woman: The Musical,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” and “Come From Away,” patrons made “Hadestown” the center’s highest attended Broadway show, with 2,549 people in attendance over three nights.

Clements says the Broadway offerings have become so successful that all of the shows for next season will be expanded to three nights. 

Broadway shows are just one component of programming at the ETSU Martin Center.  

“One of my favorite moments from this past season was the 49 Winchester benefit concert, a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank to raise money at a time of dire need for our region, in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation,” Clements recalls. The alternative country band got its start in Southwest Virginia.  

The ETSU Martin Center partners with a host of regional organizations such as the Johnson City Symphony, Symphony of the Mountains, and the Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County Chamber of Commerce. 

When ETSU Martin Center staff learned that Hampton High School could not hold graduation on its campus in the spring of 2025 because of hurricane damage, they offered up the center to help overcome the hardship. 

Clements says just about every time she goes shopping, someone asks her about upcoming shows. 

“It has grown so much quicker than I initially thought it would,” she said. “I knew the community was hungry for a venue like this, but I had no idea it would be as successful as it has been. It’s very moving to me.” 

The ETSU Martin Center offers a friends program that patrons can join for as little as $100 a year, and it is still possible to honor or memorialize someone through the purchase of a plaque to place on a seat. 

Consistent with its mission to make the arts accessible to all, the Martin Center manages a Ticket Subsidy Program. Coordinated through non-profit agencies in the region, the program supports children and youth, regardless of income, by providing them the opportunity to attend performances free of charge. 

“The Martin Center serves us all well, in ways that most of us never even considered,” says Susan Shelton. “It gives us a glimpse into the larger world outside of ourselves through song and dance. Year after year, come the spring, my seat will always be ready to transport me to other worlds.”