Will Packer Performing Arts Amphitheater

WILL PACKER PERFORMING ARTS AMPHITHEATER UNVEILED

BY [ Andrew J. SKERRITT ]

Will Packer at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumnus movie mogul Will Packer unveiled the new Performing Arts Amphitheater named in his honor during Homecoming festivities on Friday, October 29, 2021.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., and prominent alumni including Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, longtime collaborator, film director Rob Hardy, and actress Rashan Ali. Packer was surrounded by his wife, Heather Packer, children, his mother, sister and other relatives.

“This is a big moment for me. This is huge. It’s everything,” said Packer, who thanked his mother for “believing in me.” He also praised his classmates, especially Hardy with helping him to achieve success beyond his wildest imagination.

“It ain’t about the size of the university that determines heart. It’s about the heart that beats within the University,” Packer told the appreciative crowd. “Now is the time for Rattlers and HBCU students and grads at large to reach back and give back to those who need our support. Our time is now. There is no time to waste because it’s FAMU. The groundwork has been laid and there’s never been a better time in history to represent excellence.”

The Will Packer Performing Arts Amphitheater is part of the recently named John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Plaza. The foundation donated $1.5 million to FAMU as part of its ongoing support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and equitable public spaces. Knight’s grant will enable students, the FAMU community and Tallahassee residents to experience visu-

Clockwise from top. (from left) Kevin Hart, Will Packer, ESPN’s First Take Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim on the set of ESPN’s First Take live broadcast. A raucous, enthusiastic crowd gathered early and stayed throughout the show.

CREDIT: FAMU OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

The FAMU appearance was one of the show’s first oncampus events since the outbreak of the pandemic.

“Now is the time for Rattlers and HBCU students and grads at large to reach back and give back to those who need our support. Our time is now. There is no time to waste because it’s FAMU. The groundwork has been laid and there’s never been a better time in history to represent excellence.”

al and performing arts, news and other programming, both in-person and virtually.

Packer, who earned an engineering degree at FAMU, started working on his first movie “Chocolate City” with Hardy while still on campus. The founder and CEO of Will Packer Productions film production company and Will Packer Media, a television, digital and branded content company, Packer wanted his donation to motivate others to step forward to invest in students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Since he began creating movies, Packer has produced or executive produced a wide range of movies, including such films as “The Photograph,” “Little,” “What Men Want,” “Night School,” “Breaking In,” “Girls Trip,” “Ride Along 2,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “No Good Deed,” “Think Like a Man Too,” “Ride Along,” “Think Like a Man,” and “Takers.” His television credits include “That Girl Lay Lay,” “Blackballed,” “Ambitions,” “Bigger,” “Being Mary Jane,” “Uncle Buck” and the remake of “Roots,” for which he received an Emmy nomination. Packer produced the 94th Oscars in March 2022.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony kicked off a day of activities for FAMFest, which was part of FAMU Homecoming 2021- An Epic Return. The highlight was a live, on-location broadcast of ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith and host Molly Qerim Rose. Packer and actor Kevin Hart joined the First Take two-hour broadcast on the Amphitheater stage.

Following First Take, Hart’s LOL radio show Straight from the Hart, featuring Kevin Hart & The Plastic Cup Boyz, taped in front of a live audience from the Amphitheater stage, that was aired several days later on SiriusXM.

Shawnta Friday-Stroud, Ph.D., vice president for University Advancement and FAMU Foundation executive director, and her staff have been in conversation with Packer for a number of years. He made the donation anonymously in 2019 in anticipation of a 2020 homecoming unveiling, which was derailed by the pandemic. She said this gift was just a reflection of his passion for his alma mater.

“Will Packer has an unrivaled passion for FAMU. His gift toward naming the Performing Arts Amphitheater is a demonstration of his love for his alma mater and his desire to lead by example in giving back to the institution that means so much to him,” Friday-Stroud said. “We are so thankful to Will for his generosity.”

The Performing Arts Amphitheater concept was developed by the Student Government Association in response to dramatic increase in the activities of student clubs and organizations over the past few years. The Amphitheater is located on “The Set,” which is the heartbeat of the FAMU student experience.