In 1930, Stetson University dedicated what is now Stover Theatre. It was the first university building in Florida – and possibly the South – built as a playhouse. In those days, some considered theatrical productions a bit disreputable, but Stetson President Lincoln Hulley, an avid playwright, wanted a theater and raised the money himself – about $36,000.

It was first called the Women’s Assembly Hall to avoid concerns about the “evils of theater,” but four days after its Nov. 15, 1930, dedication, Stetson staged the first play there, Dr. Hulley’s “Apollo and the Muses.” Soon thereafter it became affectionately known as the “Little Theatre.”

Built with neither architect nor blueprints, the building has many inadequacies. Hulley had no practical theater experience and reportedly just told DeLand contractor E. K. Jones, “I want a stage and some seats.”

Dr. Irving Stover, professor of speech and drama, fought for the basic necessities of a working theater, but Dr. Hulley economized. As a result, its stage is small and it lacks a scene shop and a backstage. Actors leaving the stage on one side can’t easily get to the other side.

When it was renamed to honor Dr. Stover in 1938, he said he wasn’t sure he wanted his name attached to a theater lacking the essentials to stage quality performances.

The wonder is that over the past 75 years, thousands of aspiring actors, designers, producers and directors have drawn inspiration from working at Stover Theatre, and many have gone on to successful careers in the theater. Others have used their Stover experiences to bolster careers in business, education, politics or the law.

Stover is small and lacks some basics, but its heart – supplied by a series of professor/directors, Dr. Irving Stover, Dr. Bruce Griffiths, Dr. James Wright, and Dr. Ken McCoy – is big. They and other colleagues have inspired generations of students to give their best as actors, directors, lighting and sound technicians, and designers.