The Varsity Center

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The Varsity Center A historic venue for performing and visual arts, live music, entertainment and community events. Illinois Ave. The bar area is also updated.

The Varsity Center stands in the center of downtown Carbondale, midway between the Carbondale City Hall and the campus of Southern Illinois University at 418 S. The building is Art Modern design and was built in 1940. The multi-purpose venue has undergone partial renovation. It currently provides a 150-seat live performance theater; complete with scene shop and dressing rooms; a gallery/bar/kitchenette and space for meetings, gatherings and receptions; a beautifully restored lobby; additional corridor exhibit space. Renovation on the Balcony Theater is also complete. This space seats 137 people and offers an intimate, live performance atmosphere with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. Next up is the renovation of the main auditorium, which seats 500.

10/06/2026

10 / 10 @ 10 PM - SICABE & The Varsity present 10's Across the Board Drag Ball Competition! Not sure what a Drag Ball is? Here's Professor Ya-Ya to teach us. 🔟 🔟 🔟

"Great storytelling can survive an insistence on veracity. And, for that matter, so can great comedy." (Chris Jones, Chi...
09/17/2026

"Great storytelling can survive an insistence on veracity. And, for that matter, so can great comedy." (Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune)

See "Lifespan of a Fact" this weekend at the Varsity. Starring are (from left) Lourdes Albuixech, Seth Stearns and Trevor Thompson.

Tickets and More Info: bit.ly/3VH7E2T

Join us in The Balcony for an exciting live theater event that takes us through twists and turns of facts and storytelli...
09/16/2026

Join us in The Balcony for an exciting live theater event that takes us through twists and turns of facts and storytelling. Whether you're a journalism ju**ie or just curious, this is your chance to explore how facts somehow change and sometimes get stretched. Don't miss out on this fun look at the art of editorial truth and story!

09/16/2026

This weekend, 9/18-20, join us for The Lifespan of a Fact by Jeremy Kareken & David Murell, and Gordon Farrell. This funny, compelling, and thought-provoking story
is the type of play that will stick in one’s memory for years to come. Here's why the cast thinks you should come see this production.

09/15/2026

Address

418 South Illinois Avenue
Carbondale, IL
62901

Telephone

+16184575353

Website

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