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Last updated on Thursday, February 16, 2017
(BLOOMINGTON) - “The Carnegie Hall of college basketball” is the subject of a new documentary from WTIU Public Television.
Assembly Hall: Pride of Indiana premieres March 7, 2017, at 8 p.m. on WTIU and will also be simultaneously streamed on Facebook Live at facebook.com/wtiupublictv. The program explores the history, stories, and secrets behind the iconic venue at Indiana University.
Beginning with the original conception and design of the building, the documentary examines the compromises and behind-the-scenes politics that led to the eventual design of Assembly Hall. Little-known facts about the building are also uncovered, including proposed plans (allegedly quashed by Bob Knight) for an ice rink underneath the basketball court.
The program also looks at Assembly Hall's uses outside of basketball, including as a music venue, and even as the home to a circus (that vowed never to return).
The show then moves to the recent remodeling of Assembly Hall and explains the reasons for upgrading the current facility rather than building a new one. Viewers are taken on a tour of the building to see what has changed and what features make up the aura of Assembly Hall.
The documentary includes interviews with IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass, former IU basketball player and Pacers coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard, Hoosiers screenwriter and producer Angelo Pizzo, IU's Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities Chuck Crabb, former Herald-Times columnist Mike Leonard, and IU Vice President Emeritus Terry Clapacs, among others.
Assembly Hall: Pride of Indiana is directed and produced by Jo Throckmorton. He is an adjunct instructor in the Media School at Indiana University. This documentary originated from a class project at the Media School.
Throckmorton is a member of the Directors Guild of America and has worked on national projects throughout the country. His previous WTIU documentary Hard Life won an award for Social Justice Reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists. Throckmorton's series of four TV commercials for Indiana University featuring Ailyn Perez, Mark Cuban, Sage Steele, and Michael Uslan, received Silver Telly Awards of excellence. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Cine Golden Eagle Award.
Learn more about Assembly Hall: Pride of Indiana and view a trailer for the program at wtiu.org/assemblyhall.
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