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Claustrophobic is how University of Oregon senior Patrick O’Driscoll remembers the costume shop at the old university theater.

“It was this cramped space in the basement,” he says. “They still did great things. That’s what theater is about—doing great things despite sometimes not having a lot in a facility.”

Now, however, students of theater arts can achieve greatness in a great facility, with the opening of the James F. Miller Theatre Complex. Named for the late James Miller, a New York businessman and Portland philanthropist, the expanded and renovated complex was constructed using a combination of private gifts and state bonds, with a $1.5 million lead gift from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.

The $7.9 million, 18,000-square-foot project features upgrades to the Robinson Theatre, state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, an extended scene shop, and a new green room.

And yes, the new digs even have a new costume shop that “is this beautiful space on the second floor with windows,” says O’Driscoll. “It’s so satisfying to see people in a space where they can really do their best work. I just can’t explain how great it is to witness the opening of the theater.”

Over the years, audiences have seen O’Driscoll’s best work get even better. The senior from Dallas, Oregon, has starred in everything from Neil Simon’s whimsical play Rumors to the darker Or Not to Be, a Zombie-style adaptation of Hamlet, in which O’Driscoll played the ill-fated prince. (In the video below, O’Driscoll discusses the highlights of his acting career.)

During his time at the University of Oregon, O’Driscoll has done more than polish his acting skills. He’s triple majoring in theater arts, digital arts, and sociology.

“All three fields kind of inform each other on a greater level than I ever anticipated,” he says. “That melding of subjects gives me unending inspiration and new understandings of characters and the world.”