The Weidner's original gift came from surgeon David A. Cofrin (son of Austin E. Cofrin and namesake of UW-Green Bay's library) with the stipulation that the center be located on the UW-Green Bay campus and that it serve the community.[1] The university used state funds for the project as the original plan for UW-Green Bay's campus included a performing arts center. Namesake chancellor Weidner began a fundraising campaign in the late 1980s that raised the remainder of the $18.4 million required for the building. The university calls The Weidner a "'comm-university' center, supported by both the university and the communities of northeastern Wisconsin".[1]
For The Weidner's fifth anniversary, donations from the Cofrin family financed an expansion that included a new black-box theatre named Studio Two, later renamed the Jean Weidner Theatre in honor of Ed Weidner's wife. The renovation also expanded the ticket office, added more lobby restrooms, expanded backstage storage and dressing room space, constructed a semi-private dining area and food service elevator, and relocated The Weidner's administrative offices.[1]
Cofrin Family Hall is The Weidner's main performance facility, seating 2,021 over three levels of seating. The capacity of Cofrin Family Hall depends on the type of performance, as The Weidner's two-section motorized thrust stage can be lowered and fitted with extra seats, typically for dramatic performances. Symphonic and other music-only performances routinely use the entire thrust. Cofrin Family Hall also contains a large pipe organ, the Wood Family Organ,[2] built for The Weidner's acoustics.[3] Nearly all of The Weidner's touring acts perform in Cofrin Family Hall, with eclectic programming that includes concerts, comedians, Broadway shows, children's programming, and more. UW-Green Bay holds its winter graduations in Cofrin Family Hall.
The UWGB Music department's Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, University Singers, and Concert Choir all perform two concerts per semester in Cofrin Family Hall, and the department's annual JazzFest takes place in Cofrin Family Hall in the spring.
The UWGB Theatre department performs in Cofrin Family Hall occasionally, putting on Cabaret in 2011.[4] It performed another musical there in fall 2015[5] and participated in The Weidner's Stage Door educational theatre series in spring 2016 and 2017.[6][7]
Fort Howard Hall, named for the Fort Howard Paper Company founded by donor Austin E. Cofrin, is a recital hall. It seats 200 in retractable theatre-style seating, and can seat 136 in a banquet-style setting. The room is used for receptions and pre-show dinners. The UWGB Music department is the most frequent academic user of the space, and holds its Student Honors Recital and several guest artist concerts and lectures there annually.
Built in the style of a dance studio with mirrors and marley dance floor, Studio One is rarely used for its intended purpose, instead serving as a multipurpose space for The Weidner, and a reception area/backstage storage for the UWGB Theatre department when it is performing in the Jean Weidner Theatre.
Built in the 1998 renovation and originally called Studio Two, the space was renamed[when?] the Jean Weidner Theatre after Edward Weidner's wife. Jean Weidner Theatre is a black-box style theatre that seats 90 in either a standard theatre style or a theatre in the round arrangement. Although it is part of The Weidner, the UWGB Theatre department oversees the space and is its primary user. The UWGB Music department holds most of its student recitals in the space, along with its Opera/Musical Theatre workshop.
The Weidner Philharmonic is The Weidner's symphony since 2019.[8] They have partnered with Northeastern Wisconsin Dance Organization to provide live orchestration for The Nutcracker ballet.[9] They also have reoccurring performances called Symphonic Night at the Movies where they play the score of a movie while the movie plays on a screen behind them.
In February 2022 The Weidner, in partnership with the Tarlton Theatre, announced The Weidner Downtown at the Tarlton Theatre series, also shortened to The Weidner Downtown.[10] The series aims to bring an eclectic mix of arts and culture including chamber theatre, film, live lit, music, and more to downtown Green Bay at The Tarlton Theatre.
The partnership was announced to continue into 2023.[11]
The Josephine B. Lenfestey Chandelier by Dale Chihuly
The Weidner installed the Josephine B. Lenfestey Chandelier created by Dale Chihuly in the summer of 2004.[12] The chandelier has more than 450 individual pieces of blown glass and is 12 by 8 feet. The installation took 3 days in June and had a public unveiling on September 12, 2004.
Green Bay Metro
