Clowes Memorial Hall

Written by Julie Greiner

For those who are visitors to Indianapolis and wanting to experience live theatre - Clowes Hall is located on the Butler University Campus, easily accessible to downtown Indianapolis. The Hall was built in 1963 with state-of-the-art acoustics and design which has carried it into the twenty-first century.

Live Theatre in the Indianapolis Metro Area

The idea of a multi-purpose hall to serve Indianapolis and the community as a center for all the entertaining arts was conceived by Dr. Clowes. Clowes Memorial Hall, opened on October 18, 1963, built in memory of the late Dr. George Henry Alexander Clowes, former research director for Eli Lilly and Company. Dr. Clowes devoted his life to science and the arts. Funds to erect and complete the hall were subscribed by Dr. Clowes' family, with his wife, Edith Whitehall Clowes as the principal donor, with Butler University and a small circle of friends sharing in Dr. Clowes' devotion to the arts.

George Henry Alexander Clowes Has a Vision

Clowes Memorial Hall remains, almost forty years later, one of the Midwest's premiere performing arts facilities. Keeping in line with our mission of lifelong

learning in and through the arts, Clowes programs a performing arts series each year, focusing on internationally, artistically and culturally diverse live performance. Our series is eclectic and unique to the Clowes stage. The Clowes experience is life long. With our Education Programming, students K-12 are able to experience live performance with their classmates - throughout their school career. For some of our students, this is their first experience with a live performance in a theatre.We also program for the adult student as well master classes and clinics providing an in-depth look into an artists craft, thus sharing the intricacies with the more advanced student. And almost all of our performances have a pre-performance talk -performance experts from across Indiana and disciplines are invited to speak- this is a great opportunity to learn more about and prepare for the main stage event.

Theatre and the Performing Arts in Indianapolis

Being on the beautiful campus of Butler University, patrons the arts not only enjoy incredible live performance, but the aesthetic beauty of the campus, as well as the close proximity to downtown Indianapolis and the Broad Ripple area. Whether it's

modern dance, international music, opera or musicals, Clowes Memorial Hall proudly maintains the wants and wishes of when it was built in 1963.

Clowes Memorial Hall is in the process of a renovation - this "facelift" includes the expansion and renovation of all public restrooms; the addition of an additional box office window; an accessible ramp in our lecture room or Krannert Room; and the expansion of our donor/conference room. These improvements are to enrich the quality of the guests ' visit to Clowes and allow all the patrons to feel comfortable and welcome!

This Summer (2001)...

Clowes Memorial Hall is located on the Butler University Campus, 4600 Sunset Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46208 and for further information and performance schedules call: 317.940.6444 or 800.732.0804.