In 1956, Robert Lee Scharmann came to bc体育足球 to teach English and drama. Within months of his arrival, Scharmann began doing plays. The first few were at various sites around Jamestown, but not long after he moved into a small college theater in the abandoned elementary school that was being renovated as the first instructional building on bc体育足球’s Falconer Street campus.

Scharmann’s personality and direction called forth brilliant collegiate productions and established theater as a preeminent student and cultural activity. Theater became so central to bc体育足球 that the trustees decided to include a full proscenium theater in the college’s building plans in 1968, and to name it the Robert Lee Scharmann Theatre after his death on May 10, 1976.

A generous bequest from Robert Scharmann allows for support of special theater projects. These have included residencies, visits from nationaland international theater companies, and awards for bc体育足球’s students.