'62 Center for Theater and Dance

The ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance is a state-of-the-art performance venue that provides student actors, dancers, designers, ensembles, renowned dance and theatre companies, and the faculty at Williams a place to creatively collaborate with each other. The building is home to dance studios, classrooms, costume shop facilities and three theaters (two prosceniums, one black box). There are over 70 productions put on each year, primarily by the departments or student production groups.

Our own Cap and Bells is the oldest college student theater group in the country, founded in 1898. Past performances by students include: Spring Awakening ('19), The Importance of Being Earnest ('18), Into the Woods ('17) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom ('17), (in addition to an incredible amount of original work).

Our campus dance groups are numerous, and include:
CoDA (contemporary dance)
Dance Dhamaka (South Asian dance)
Sankofa (step)
Ritmo Latino (Latin)
NBC (hip-hop)
Kusika (African dance and storytelling)
Asian Dance Troupe
Williams Ballroom Club

All auditions for dance and theatre groups are open. You need not major in theatre or dance or have any extensive experience.

The professional performance series, the CenterSeries, presents world-class artists such as: PHILADANCO! ('20), The SITI Company ('19), New York City Ballet, Bill T. Jones ('14), Alvin Ailey II ('14), Laurie Anderson ('09-'10) and Savion Glover ('06). The college has hosted artists from countries such as: Japan, South Africa, New Zealand, Spain, Israel and Brazil.

The Williamstown Theater Festival, a summer-stock theater festival hosted in the center, won a Tony Award for outstanding regional theater in 2002. Every summer Williamstown becomes a mini-Broadway—recent performers include Uma Thurman ('19), Jesse Tyler Ferguson ('19), Matthew Broderick ('18), Jessica Hecht ('17), S. Epatha Merkerson ('17), Wendell Pierce ('17), Justin Long ('16), Roger Rees ('15), Bradley Cooper ('12), Katie Holmes ('12) and Alison Janney ('07). Famous faces like Amanda Seyfried, Sarah Jessica Parker, Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Burton have come to watch the performances.