The Carolina Theatre auditorium after the Phase I renovation, with new seating and carpet

Setting the Stage

Capital Campaign

In 2018, the Board of Directors launched the “Setting the Stage Capital Campaign.”

Years: 2018 – 2023
Raised: $2.8 million

The campaign

In 2018 the Board of Directors launched the Setting the Stage Capital Campaign. With $2.8 million in funding secured, Phase I was completed in early 2022 — critical upgrades and renovations focused squarely on the audience experience: seating, plasterwork, carpet, restrooms, concessions, lighting, sound and video equipment, heating and cooling, the fire alarm system, and upgrades to the black box theatre, The Crown.

Unexpected downtime during the COVID pandemic was put to work, allowing every slated Phase I project to be completed. That phase also included a careful assessment of the decorative terra cotta façade and windows.

Phase II — Renovate

Phase II restored and preserved the Carolina's decorative terra cotta façade and her leaded glass and steel windows. All ten windows were restored and repaired, along with the terra cotta and every piece of decorative detail.

The work finished in 2023, returning to South Greene Street the face Greensboro first saw in 1927.

The restored terra cotta façade of the Carolina Theatre, completed in 2023

How it happened

2018

Phase I begins. The auditorium is emptied — every seat and all the carpet replaced. October 2018 completes the first portion: new seating and carpet, renovated restrooms and concession area, and sound upgrades. The auditorium seats 1,130.
2021

The second wave of Phase I updates The Crown — expanded restrooms, a new artist's lounge and dressing rooms, the tech booth moved, and concessions updated.
2022

Phase I completes, with the interior, systems and infrastructure work finished and The Crown back in service as a performance space for emerging artists.
2023

Phase II — Renovate completes. All ten leaded glass and steel windows, the terra cotta, and every decorative detail are restored and repaired.

Donor Recognition

Donor roster pending. The six “Setting the Stage” PDF pages have not been supplied yet, so no names are listed and the tier headings below are placeholders. Replace them with the real tiers and names, then delete this note.