Stevens Center Information

The Stevens Center was originally a movie theatre called “The Carolina Theatre” before it was donated to the School of the Arts in 1980 by the Winston-Salem Journal. After this donation, the venue was renovated by the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with the help of a $9.6 million state bond. The venue opened on April 22, 1983, with a gala featuring the UNCSA Symphony Orchestra with Leonard Bernstein conducting, Isaac Stern as a soloist, and Gregory Peck as the master of ceremonies. The opening event was attended by several famous personalities including Agnes de Mille, Cliff Robertson, Governor James Hunt, President and Mrs. Gerald Ford, and Larry Bird Johnson. This event solidified the importance of the venue in North Carolina’s theatre entertainment scene and has placed it as one of the most important parts of the lives of Winston-Salem residents from a cultural and financial standpoint.

The venue enjoyed early success and popularity but faced difficulty with the federal Economic Development Administration demanded UNCSA to pay back $3.12 million when the title was transferred from UNCSA to NCSA, Inc. The venue also had difficulty with Forsyth County over taxes that may have spelled disaster and early closure for the venue. Thankfully, a 1990 UNCSA deal saved the venue, since it meant that preview shows of Broadway Musicals would come to the Stevens Center. But that deal and relationship were dropped when The Stevens Center was reportedly losing money on the arrangement.

Despite these early issues, the venue marches on. It has always been home to resident performance companies and hosts the National Black Theatre Festival. It has the goal of enriching the cultural life of the Winston-Salem community and is considered to define the city as much as its university. It had a renovation to modernize the facility and make it into a teaching facility and premier performance space.

That was about 35 years ago, and it is currently working on a second makeover to keep it into the prime city entertainment and theatre facility that it has always been. The venue’s owners have instituted a master plan that will enhance the facility, bring in state-of-the-art equipment, and ensure that the Stevens Center continues to be a part of what defines the city. As of this date, the plan is currently in an operational phase that seeks to promote the learning aspects of the venue and spearhead efforts to catalyze arts-based community and economic development. In other words, Stevens Center staff and owners recognize that the needs of Winston-Salem have changed, and the venue is doing its part to make sure it can always answer those needs.

With 1,380 seats available and 10 stories of space, the venue is already making great strides towards this goal with their resident performance companies, offering office space for the UNCSA Community Music School, as well as annual festivities and performances that keeps bringing in fans year by year.

See the links below for further information on the The Roger L. Stevens Center:

Stevens Center Parking:
Latest parking information and rules at the Stevens Center.

Ticket Policies:
Latest ticket guarantee and authenticity policies.

Stevens Center Seating Chart:
The Roger L. Stevens Center seating chart and related seating information.