Theatre Lab at Florida Atlantic University will relocate from its current space in Parliament Hall to the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre for the 2026-27 season. The move is supported by the Department of Theatre & Dance and the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.
Since 2015, Theatre Lab has operated out of an unused cafeteria in a student dormitory, presenting more than 30 full productions and over 100 developmental readings of new plays. The original space was not designed as a theater, which presented challenges for production quality.
Louis Tyrrell, founding director of Theatre Lab, said, “Theatre Lab always understood that this was a temporary situation and that, as we grew along with the university, the time would eventually come to move operations to a more suitable facility.” He added, “With the expansion of the east side of campus, including the construction of a new dormitory set to house more than 600 students, the need to accommodate student life – an absolute priority of any university – combined with Theatre Lab’s own visions for the future, means the time for that change has come.”
In its new location, Theatre Lab will share facilities with the Department of Theatre and Dance while plans are developed for a permanent home on FAU’s Boca Raton campus. The transition is expected to provide improved equipment and increased audience capacity.
“This new space is a dream come true for many, especially students and staff that spend their time dedicated to the Theater Lab’s productions,” according to university representatives.
More information about Theatre Lab can be found at fau.edu/theatrelab
