Playmakers Theater, originally named Smith Hall, is a Greek Revival building on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s campus.

Completed in 1851, the building was originally built to be both a library and a ballroom. The theater is a National Historic Landmark and is the oldest building on campus dedicated for the arts.

New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis designed the building in the style of a Greek Revival temple. Instead of the traditional acanthus leaves on a Corinthian temple, Davis wove in traditional North Carolina crops, wheat and corn, into the design of the portico. Davis was also the architect for other buildings on campus, including the expansion of Old East and South Building.

Originally named after university donor Benjamin Smith, the building has had many uses, including housing agricultural chemistry and the School of Law. The structure was renovated for use by the Carolina Playmakers, a dramatic arts company founded by Professor Frederick Koch. Famous members of the Carolina Playmakers to perform in the theater include Thomas Wolfe and Andy Griffith.

Playmakers Theater was renovated in the mid-1920s and upgraded in 2010. The most recent changes to the building include a new auditorium floor, audience seating, curtains, stage lights and sound system. The theater reopened for events and lectures in November of 2010, with a seating capacity of approximately 240. Playmakers now hosts drama productions, lectures, concerts and academic events.

Although the upgrade made the structure available for use, it is lacking key elements of a full renovation. The building is not air-conditioned, lacks restrooms and dressing rooms, and the stage is not accessible to wheelchair users.

Playmakers Theater
Photo by Caroline Culler