- September 15, 2025
- More articles By Sala Levin ’10
- Photo by John T. Consoli
SCOT REESE CRANED HIS NECK up at the soaring atrium of the new Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center for the first time in 2001 and knew immediately that a moment of dramatic transformation was unfolding at the University of Maryland.
A professor of performance who’d joined the faculty in 1995, Reese was used to the outdated lighting grids, paint-splattered walls and creaking floorboards in the old Tawes Fine Arts Building. Here, though, Reese became emotional as he took in the scale of this sprawling new venue, with its six performance halls, library, classrooms, offices, rehearsal spaces and café. He marveled at the natural light pouring through glass walls and the blend of modern design and functionality.
“There was a sense of validation—like all the late nights, the scrappy shows, the rehearsals in too-small rooms had led to this,” says Reese, now a professor emeritus. “I felt proud, not just for myself, but for everyone in the arts community at Maryland. We were finally being seen.”
The 318,000-square-foot building was the largest ever constructed by the state—and remains the largest performing arts center in Maryland. Critical to its creation was a $15 million gift from artist Clarice Smith and her husband, Robert Smith ’50; the state, Prince George’s County and other private donors provided additional support.
The Clarice, as it’s colloquially known, will celebrate its 25th season this academic year, having altered the trajectory of theater, dance and music at the University of Maryland. With its state-of-the-art technical capabilities, collaborations with international artists, and educational offerings and outreach, the center has become a crown
jewel of the university.
“The building is a spectacular cultural resource, but what’s really special is that it’s the home of so many talented, passionate and committed staff, faculty, students and acclaimed artists who innovate and create and bring programs alive for UMD and the surrounding community,” says Terrence Dwyer, executive director of The Clarice.
The center, part of the College of Arts and Humanities, has hosted artistic luminaries like Harry Belafonte, Rita Moreno, Dionne Warwick and John Lithgow, along with state, national and world leaders for lectures and conversations, including the Dalai Lama and Al Gore. It has hosted groundbreaking musical collaborations, innovative interpretations of classical operas, global debuts of thought-provoking plays, an annual gathering of the nation’s most talented young instrumentalists and even an international puppetry festival.
UMD’s School of Music, the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies and the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library all have a home in The Clarice, giving both students and local residents the chance to develop and sharpen their artistic skills—whether through UMD classes, student-community ensembles or opportunities like the Terrapin Community Music School, which offers area middle and high school students affordable music lessons.
“I am very proud to lead a college that has this gem of a performing arts center,” says Stephanie Shonekan, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. “The Clarice allows us to attract some of the most talented artists, musicians, dancers, designers and actors to study, perform and produce work that helps us understand who we are as individuals and as part of a global community. Experiencing the performing arts at The Clarice inspires us to imagine and shape a better future together. Today, this feels more essential than ever.”
Here, Terp stages its own production: a photo essay chronicling nearly a quarter-century at The Clarice.
Center namesake Clarice Smith was known for her portraits, still lifes, florals, landscapes and equestrian scenes. Smith showed her work at galleries in the U.S. and abroad. (Photo by John T. Consoli)
In the 2014 production of the subversive musical “Spring Awakening,” teenage characters grapple with sexuality, mental health and generational conflict. This version was co-directed by Associate Professor Emeritus Brian MacDevitt, who’s won six Tony Awards for lighting design. (Photo by Stan Barouh)
Dance students perform “Here’s to Us,” choreographed by Alondra Torres Negron ’25, in October 2023. The work is “a celebration of all we’ve felt, said, done and how we’ve made it through” she says. (Photo by Dylan Singleton)
In the 2014 reimagination of Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” members of the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra danced while playing their instruments in this daring restaging. The performance was a collaboration between James Ross, then-director of orchestral activities, and famed choreographer and UMD alumna Liz Lerman ’70. (Photo by Kirsten Poulsen House)
Members of the Chilean puppetry ensemble Silencio Blanco, visiting artists at The Clarice in 2019, work with children and families at Family Art Day at the Langley Park Community Center. (Photo by David Andrews)
Trailblazing conductor Marin Alsop was appointed the first music director of the National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F), a program of Clarice Presents for exceptional young musicians from around the country in 2020. Each June, she leads the NOI+F Conducting Academy and conducts concerts at The Clarice. (Photo by David Andrews)
A student (left) works in the costume shop in 2024. The Clarice is home to a talented production staff that works collaboratively with student designers. Doni Rotunno MFA ’26 (right) applies makeup for Nuria Shin M.M. ’25 before dress rehearsals for “The Merry Wives of Windsor” in Spring 2025. Each spring, the Maryland Opera Studio presents a full-scale production that brings together singers, musicians, designers and technicians in a uniquely collaborative process between the School of Music; the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies; and The Clarice’s production staff. (Photos by Dylan Singleton and Taneen Momeni)
STARS WHO SHINED AT THE CLARICE
A who’s who of A-list entertainers, world leaders, writers and thinkers have graced the stages of The Clarice’s venues. Here are just a few of those luminaries:
World-renowned mezzo-soprano DENYCE GRAVES spoke about her journey as a Black woman in the world of opera during the Arts and Humanities Dean’s Lecture Series, in collaboration with Arts for All, in February 2025.
Multi-Grammy Award-winning singer MAVIS STAPLES first performed at The Clarice in November 2013 and returned in September 2024 as part of Clarice Presents programming.
Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor JOHN LITHGOW hosted a master class for theatre students before speaking about the value of the arts and humanities as part of the Arts and Humanities Dean’s Lecture Series in November 2013.
The 14th DALAI LAMA, winner of a Nobel Peace Prize, spoke at The Clarice in May 2013. He discussed Islam’s Sufi tradition and Tibetan Buddhism as part of an event organized by UMD’s Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and the Roshan Institute for Persian Studies.
Grammy Award winner DIONNE WARWICK, known for hits like “Walk on By” and “I Say a Little Prayer,” spoke at The Clarice in February 2023 as part of the Arts and Humanities Dean’s Lecture Series.
DJs spin tunes directly into the earbuds of the dancers at the popular Silent Disc-Glo in the Grand Pavilion at NextNOW Fest in 2023. Since 2014, the multiday celebration of the arts has featured performances, workshops and exhibitions by campus-based and national artists. (Photo by Dylan Singleton)
The “Broadway Today” showcase, featuring students from the “Musical Theatre Workshop” course, is a favorite at Maryland Day, drawing hundreds of guests to The Clarice’s main atrium. UMD’s annual open house is just one of the ways The Clarice engages with new audiences who may not be directly connected to the university. (Photo by Dylan Singleton)
Indie-rock luminary Mitski performs in the intimate Kogod Theatre during the 2016 NextNOW Fest. Other NextNOW Fest artists have included comedian and musician Reggie Watts, R&B singer-songwriter Ari Lennox, and actress and singer Elizabeth Gillies. (Photo by Dylan Singleton)
Area high schoolers study rhythm in a class at The Clarice offered by the Terrapin Community Music School, supported by the School of Music and Arts for All to provide affordable music education. (Photo by Jess Daninhirsch)
The Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, home to the Special Collections in Performing Arts and the International Piano Archives at Maryland, houses 56,000 books and 130,000 audio and video recordings. “The Clarice at 25: A Retrospective Exhibit,” open there through June 2026, explores the people, vision and design that made The Clarice a reality. (Photo by John T. Consoli)
BY THE NUMBERS
318K
Square feet
17
-Acre site
970
Seats in the Dekelboum Concert Hall, the largest of 6 performance spaces
156K
Musical scores in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library
1,068
Events during the 2024-25 season
2M+
Audience members since September 2001