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When a �鶹��Ѱ����� student called alum Roe Green more than two decades ago to ask whether she would consider doubling her previous $100 gift, Green smiled at the opportunity.��

“I can do better than that,” she replied.��

She certainly did.��

What began with a simple phone call has grown into one of the most powerful philanthropic partnerships in the history of �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder's Department of Theatre and Dance. Through visionary investments in students, faculty, facilities and innovative programming, Green has helped shape an educational experience that prepares young artists not only for careers in theater, but for lives filled with confidence, creativity and human connection.��

Ask Green what matters most, and the answer isn't a building or a program.��

It's the students.��

Creating opportunities for students��

Throughout every conversation about her philanthropy, one theme rises above the rest: Roe Green believes deeply in students.��

She remembers the opportunities that shaped her own education in theater and the mentors who encouraged her to think boldly, take risks and discover her potential. Today, she wants to create those same possibilities for �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder students, regardless of their financial circumstances or where their careers ultimately lead.��

“I want the students to have access to experiences they wouldn’t normally have,” Green said. “I want to bring them opportunities where they can learn, grow and have fun.”����

That philosophy has guided her giving at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder, from scholarships that help talented students access education to the Roe Green Launch Program, which provides graduating students with support as they begin their professional careers.��

“She loves students,” said Bud Coleman, the inaugural Roe Green Endowed Chair in Theatre. “She is not only devoted to the students in words, but also in action. She asks how specific students are doing and will meet with them to talk about what life has been like since she saw them in a production last year, or even two or three years ago.”��

Bringing the professional world to campus��

Twenty years ago, Green created the Roe Green Visiting Theatre Artist Program, inspired by a successful visiting director program she helped launch at Kent State University, where she earned her graduate degree in theater.��

The program brings acclaimed actors, directors, designers, playwrights and other theater professionals to campus, giving students opportunities to learn directly from artists actively shaping the field. These visitors mentor students, collaborate on productions and introduce them to perspectives and creative approaches they might not otherwise encounter.��

The program also reflects Green’s belief that students should have room to experiment.��

“She's most excited about the outside-the-box ideas,” said Kevin Rich, who now holds the Roe Green Endowed Chair and oversees the Visting Artist program. “And that's great news for our students because they should be experimenting in that way.”��

Green believes students learn best when they’re encouraged to take risks.����

“Make your mistakes while you are young,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to fail. This is your time to learn.”��

Creating an environment where students can learn��

Her commitment to bringing exceptional artists and experiences to campus was further strengthened in 2015, when she established the Roe Green Endowed Chair in Theatre, the first endowed chair in the arts at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder.����

“The Roe Green Endowed Chair elevated the theater program in the eyes of our peers around campus as well as across the nation,” Coleman said.��

Green’s investments have helped make Boulder a place where aspiring theater artists can learn from exceptional faculty and nationally recognized professionals while developing the confidence to pursue their own creative paths.��

Green's generosity has also transformed the spaces where students learn, rehearse and perform.��

During one campus production, Green watched from the balcony of what is now the . From her seat, she noticed that the theater’s acoustics were keeping some audience members from fully experiencing the performance.��

Rather than simply recognizing the problem, she decided to solve it.��

Her most recent $5 million investment funded significant acoustic improvements to the theatre while also supporting student scholarships, ongoing facility maintenance and the Roe Green Launch Program.��

The result is a professional-quality space where students can develop their craft and share their work with audiences.��

The theater’s growing reputation will reach beyond campus in 2027, when it serves as one of the venues for the 2027 Sundance Film Festival.��

For Green, however, the spaces are ultimately about the people inside them, where students can discover their voices, share their stories and imagine what's possible.��

A legacy that lives in students��

Twenty years after that first phone call, Roe Green's impact can be seen in every corner of �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder's Department of Theatre and Dance.��

Her generosity has created opportunities for thousands of students, elevated �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder's national reputation and ensured that future generations of performers, designers, directors and playwrights have the resources to dream bigger and reach further.����

Green says generosity has always enriched her life.��

“When I give, I get back tenfold,” she said. “Give of yourself and be charitable.”����

For every student who discovers a passion, finds a mentor, earns a scholarship, takes a creative risk or steps confidently into the next chapter of life, Roe Green's legacy lives on.��

Learn more about giving to Theatre and Dance at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder��