The Gracie is named for Grace McCollum, the granddaughter of longtime Husson trustee and friend Hilda Hutchins McCollum. The facility includes a 500-seat proscenium theater, 360 in the orchestra, 140 in the balcony, a fly system with 26 counterweighted line sets, rehearsal hall, orchestra pit, scene design and construction area, sound, recording and light booths and 3 full dressing rooms. Also the Gracie is wired with a 3-way mic split and the ability to feed live performances to a 34' mobile truck for live broadcast to local radio, TV, online and audio recording purposes.
Since its opening in 2009, the Gracie has hosted a wide variety of events from concerts to lectures, to theatre shows to a drum clinic by Todd Sucherman from Styx. In 2012, the Gracie launched their inaugural season featuring performances by Second City Improv Company, Broadway's Jennifer Holliday, the Off-Broadway smash hit "Potted Potter" and the hilarious "Deer Camp, the Musical". Classical performances included Jazz Pianist, Dan Tepfer, International Opera Star Richard Troxell and NPR host Christopher O'Riley.
The Gracie Theatre shares and assists Husson University in their commitment to cultural exposure, experiential learning and community engagement by providing opportunities for student involvement in the arts, enriching campus life, and building a bridge between campus, region and community through diverse programming.
