Campus View of Alfred University

Miller Performing Arts Center

A red-brick building bordered by a sidewalk is adorned with vibrant autumn trees. Few pedestrians, clear blue sky, and a calm, serene atmosphere.
Academic

216 State St, Alfred, NY 14802

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The Miller Performing Arts Center provides a home for theater, dance and music programs, as well as serving as a cultural focal point for the region.

About This Facility

Opened in 1995 and named in honor of Dr. Marlin Miller ’54, the Miller Performing Arts Center is the heart of Alfred University’s Performing Arts Division.

Originally part of a long-term master plan, the Center now houses thriving programs in theater (Miller Theater, located next door to the Miller Performing Arts Center is pictured below), music, and dance, and also serves as a cultural beacon for both campus and the surrounding region.

Evening view of the Miller Theater at Alfred University, with its modern glass facade illuminated by warm interior lights and surrounded by lampposts and trees

What’s Inside

C.D. Smith III Theater

A 50x50 foot flexible black box theater with:

  • Seating for up to 250

  • A professional-grade sprung floor

  • Non-fixed staging and lighting grid

  • Control and sound booths with state-of-the-art systems

  • Expandable scene shop for large-scale productions

Named for C. Duryea Smith III, this space gives students and directors the flexibility to dream and design without limits.

Brick building with upper windows and ground-floor archways, next to a sidewalk with trees, lampposts, and a bench under a clear blue sky.

Rod Brown Acting Studio

Students operating sound and lighting equipment in a control booth at Alfred University's Miller Performing Arts Center, wearing headsets and monitoring a live production.
A fully equipped rehearsal and directing space allowing multiple productions to run simultaneously.

The Rod Brown Acting Studio honors the legacy of Rod Brown, a key figure during Alfred’s golden age of theater.

Adelphia Dance Studio

A light-filled, two-story space with:

  • 16–28 ft ceilings

  • Large windows with valley views

  • Sprung flooring, changing rooms, and nearby storage

Perfect for choreography, technique classes, and interdisciplinary work.

Group of student dancers performing on stage under colorful lighting at Alfred University's Miller Performing Arts Center, wearing vibrant costumes in a choreographed formation.

Music Facilities

  • Brooks Rehearsal Hall & Emerson Rehearsal Hall — professional-quality music spaces supported by the Gladys Brooks and Fred L. Emerson Foundations

  • Practice rooms & ensemble studios

  • Class piano lab, music library, seminar room

  • Instrument storage and faculty offices

Student playing a vibraphone in a sunlit music rehearsal room at Alfred University's Miller Performing Arts Center, with drums and instruments in the background and scenic views through large windows.

Legacy & Leadership

The building exists thanks to the vision and generosity of Dr. Marlin Miller, a 1954 alumnus, longtime Board of Trustees chair, and champion of the arts at Alfred University.

Directions

The Miller Performing Arts Center is located on the north end of campus. Turn onto Pine St at the traffic light. Then turn left onto State St at the top of the hill. Get Directions
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