University of Indianapolis announces Creative Grounds Fine Arts Academy to become theater-in-residence at Ransburg Auditorium

The University of Indianapolis today announced it is partnering with the non-profit Creative Grounds Fine Arts Academy, making it the theater-in-residence for Ransburg Auditorium on the UIndy campus. The partnership only further cements UIndy’s status as a hub for the arts in Indianapolis, particularly the south side.

For several years, Creative Grounds (CGFAA) had been operating out of the Greenwood Park Mall, utilizing a much smaller space. The stage did not have a curtain, making some productions difficult to maneuver. Ransburg Auditorium, which seats more than 700 people, removes both of those challenges.

“We could not be more excited as an organization to stage all of our productions on UIndy’s campus,” said Mark Landis, co-founder and executive director of CGFAA. “The arts are incredibly important to our community and it’s a huge opportunity for our students to experience a traditional theater experience.”

Creative Grounds stages between 6-8 shows a calendar year, with about 500 different people involved in at least one production annually. As a non-profit youth mentorship program, shows are frequently double casted—mixing adults and students for full-length productions—so that both ensembles can learn from and inspire each other.

“It’s wonderful to add the presence and the energy of the Creative Grounds Fine Arts Academy to campus,” said Grant Williams, director of the UIndy Theatre Program. “It keeps movement and momentum going in that space and I look forward to a long partnership together.”

Creative Grounds has three shows planned for the fall: “Something Rotten! JR.” (Oct. 10-13), Disney’s “Descendents: The Musical” (Oct. 31 to Nov. 3) and “Beauty and the Beast” (Nov. 21-24). In addition, there is a VIP experience to celebrate the theater-in-residence partnership on Oct. 11 which includes food and drinks from Huckaby’s Smokehouse, Mallow Run Winery before the show and a Q-and-A Talk Back with the cast and creative team after the performance.

Longtime CGFAA fans may notice that shows are limited to a single weekend. That’s due to the capacity boost provided by Ransburg which is almost four times larger than the previous facility at the mall. Landis is excited to be able to remove the burden of performing a dozen times over two weekends, especially the younger cast members.

“Being able to perform for more people in one weekend than we could over two weeks in our earlier space is momentous,” said Landis. “It’s important not just for our community, but for our organization as a non-profit to continue to grow, because ticket sales help pay the bills.”

Another important facet of the program is offering school day performances to area community schools for just $5 a student, a price for live theater that is extremely affordable compared to professional productions elsewhere in Indianapolis.

The partnership between the University of Indianapolis and Creative Grounds is for the next three years.