Doris Duke Theater to open in July

Jacob’s Pillow to open landmark Doris Duke Theater in July, featuring cutting-edge design and international dance artists

Jacob’s Pillow to open landmark Doris Duke Theater in July, featuring cutting-edge design and international dance artists

Jacob’s Pillow, the iconic National Historic Landmark and home to America’s longest-running international dance festival, has announced the opening of its groundbreaking new Doris Duke Theater, further enhancing its capacity to support and showcase contemporary dance.

Set to open on 9 July 2025, the state-of-the-art venue will debut during the 93rd season of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshires. Designed by renowned Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo, alongside Marvel and Charcoalblue, the 20,000-square-foot theatre occupies the site of the former Doris Duke Theater, destroyed by fire in 2020. The venue incorporates cutting-edge technology to support innovative dance performances, including spatial audio systems, infrared camera tracking and immersive video content capabilities. The theatre will seat between 220 and 400 patrons in various configurations, enabling it to host a wide range of performances and events.

Pamela Tatge, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow, emphasised the theatre’s dual mission: “We envisioned and built the new Doris Duke Theatre grounded in the Indigenous history of the land on which we dance. At the same time, it is a global hub for innovation, offering tomorrow’s most groundbreaking mixed reality dance experiences.”

The inaugural season will feature a stellar lineup of international artists and premieres:

  • Andrew Schneider (United States): World premiere of HERE, exploring storytelling through spatial audio and wireless technology. Schneider will also create a digital-first work for virtual audiences. 
  • Shamel Pitts (United States): Touch of RED, a duet blending jazz dance, boxing and nightlife, performed by Pitts’ company TRIBE. Pitts will also create a digital-first work for virtual audiences.
  • Eun-Me Ahn (Korea): US premiere of Dragons, combining live choreography with 3D holography.
  •  Elle Sofe Company (Norway): US debut of Vástádus eana – the answer is land, reflecting Sámi cultural heritage.
  •  Faye Driscoll (United States): Weathering, a multi-sensory exploration of the Anthropocene.
  •  Huang Yi (Taiwan): Ink, blending human choreography with robotics and holographic art.

The theatre’s design celebrates movement and sustainability, with natural materials, such as thermally treated pine, rainwater collection systems and a veranda for shaded outdoor activities. The building’s mass timber structure is designed to weather gracefully over time. Surrounding the venue is a thoughtfully designed landscape by Marvel, including an Indigenous garden and communal fire pit created by Andre StrongBearHeart Gaines, Jr, Kathi Arnold and Misty Cook in collaboration with Marvel.

The multi-day opening celebrations will feature pop-up performances, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and special installations, including Hyperreal Futures: Choreographing the Algorithmic Body by Katherine Helen Fisher in the Duke’s gallery space. Visual artist Brenda Mallory will unveil a lobby installation reflecting the Indigenous heritage of the land. The 9 July opening date carries deep historical resonance, as it marks the anniversary of the Ted Shawn Theater’s opening in 1942, the first US venue designed exclusively for dance.

Sam Gill, CEO of the Doris Duke Foundation, praised the project’s ambition: “The new Doris Duke Theatre exemplifies Jacob’s Pillow’s legacy of pushing boundaries, creating new forms of expression that move audiences in profound ways.”

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2025 will run from 25 June to 24 August, marking the 93rd summer of the festival and the first time in six years that all three on-site venues—the Ted Shawn Theatre, Henry J. Leir Stage and Doris Duke Theatre—will host performances.

For over 90 years, Jacob’s Pillow has been a significant institution in the world of dance, known for its festival, training programmes, creative initiatives and the production of innovative works. As a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, the organisation has long been recognised for its contributions to the field. The opening of the new Doris Duke Theater marks another milestone in its history, further expanding its capabilities to support, showcase and nurture contemporary dance and its practitioners.

For more information, visit jacobspillow.org