History

Built in 1915, the Waldron has seen a variety of owners, businesses, and events throughout its years. The waldron first got its name when it being funded, it needed $750,000 and an anonymous donor paid for 50% of the total cost was later known to be Cecil Waldron, great granddaughter of a local politician and requested it be named after him. The building itself was built to be the town hall, and in 1965, after a fifty year service the building was converted into the police and fire stations. Two decades later around 1985 the Bloomington Area Art Council renovated it into an arts center. In addition to renovating it, they added an auditorium, a small theater, and art galleries. However, things changed in 1994 when  WFHB, a local radio station moved in. In 2010 the Waldron was on the brink of closing and Ivy Tech came in and bought it. where they agreed to make sure that 70% would remain dedicated to the arts. Ivy kept it until the 2020 pandemic when it closed and the city stepped in and took over for the next few years. Although still under lockdown,  Constellations, an organization focused on redefining theater, decided to buy it which brings us to where it is today. 

Role In The Community

Constellation Stage & Screen partners with the Waldron Arts Center, which is home to two performing arts spaces, as well as an art gallery. 

A renovation on the building was completed in 2022, and the space now has a box office, a lobby, and a new sound system.

The gallery room has had many pieces inside in the past 5 years, and the most recent one (at the time of writing this article) is “Words and Pictures” by T.L. McBeth. It explores the creation of a children’s book. 

Constellation Stage & Screen started in 2022 as a combination of Cardinal Theatre Company, Bloomington Playwrights Project, and Pigasus Film Institute in the effort to provide the community with a place for artists and actors to show their talent to the public. At the places where they operate, such as the Waldron Arts Center, Constellation offers classes for people of all ages and skill levels to attend and learn. In addition, actors there have performed some famous plays and musicals, such as Elf, The Wizard of Oz, and Matilda. You can participate in upcoming productions by e-mailing your headshot, resume, and a note of interest to Kate Galvin, the casting director.

During the summer months, Constellation offers summer camps for kids and teens to participate in while they’re out of school, such as Filmmaking and Broadway Boot Camp. To attend these camps, you can go to https://seeconstellation.org/education/classes/.