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Although planning for the Communication Lab Building (COM) began in 1972, it didn't open for use until October of 1977. The original version of the Comm Arts building had a wide variety of artistic venues including: art studios, practice rooms, theaters, dance rooms. The building also held the Experimental Theater, a recital hall, an orchestra recital room, and a chorus recital room. The Experimental Theater was designed so that the stage and seating could be changed. The capacity of the house could seat anywhere from 100 to 300 people depending on the configuration. The COM building provided event space for Board of Trustees Meetings, Academic Programs, College Events (such as the Hooding Ceremony), Independent Learning Contracts, Student Activity Groups, and rentals from outside groups.

Founding Dean of Evergreen and planning coordinator for the COM project, Charles Teske wrote as part of the advisory task force for the building, that "this is an instructional building suited for the study and learning through-performance of drama, music, musical theatre, dance, audio-visual communications, cinematography, and two-dimensional art. Though some advanced, specialized work can be and should be done in it, the attainment of 'basic literacy' in these areas through interdisciplinary study by large numbers of students is to be preferred. Therefore priority in the equipping and scheduling of spaces in the budding goes to academic programs and contracts emphasizing interdisciplinary study relating the arts to larger concerns."

In 2011, the COM building closed down for renovations. The renovations added 2D and 3D animation labs, audio production studios, new practice rooms, dance studios, music technology labs, film screening rooms, film editing labs, more rehearsal space, the costume shop and scene shop. The scene shop, a fully equipped wood, metal, and paint shop supported both the performing arts and media arts at Evergreen through stage management, set design, carpentry, and lighting design. Students were able to check out set pieces and props, and costumes from the college's stock. The costume shop was staffed by Evergreen students who assisted with costume design and construction for productions. The costume shop held several sewing machines, two sergers, an industrial machine, a dye and laundry facility and shop space for two cutting table.s

The building reopened in 2015. In 2018, due to dropping enrollments and the expenses for running the COM building, Evergreen made the decision to cut the budget for performing arts leading to the shutdown of the Experimental Theater and the costume and scene shop. Several faculty and staff members lost their jobs leading to only one full-time theater faculty member. Only two student theater groups remained, Riot to Follow and Perennial Players.

Over the years, COM has hosted a variety of shows, entertainments, and student groups that have performed in one of its many performance venues. These have included Mediaworks student projects, the Evergreen Singers, experimental puppetry, plays by Shakespeare and Aristophanes, Asian Arts and Culture, the Vagina Monologues put on by the Women's Resource Center, Day of Absence/Day of Presence events, music of all kinds from Irish folk music to classical to Chinese Opera. The COM also hosted a variety of Orissi dance shows and programs led by faculty member Ratna Roy, a world-renowned Indian dancer and scholar. Orissi dance (also called Odissi) is a classical Indian dance form that was performed predominately by women. For a time, Evergreen was considered a magnet for Orissi dance training.

One of the programs that brought in a wide variety of artists to the campus to perform or work in the COM was Evergreen Expressions. The events put on by Evergreen Expressions connected to the Expressive Arts curriculum and tied into the offered academic programs. These programs were similar to artist residencies and the guest artists did workshops through the academic programs along with their performances. Expressive Arts faculty sponsored these events or co-sponsored them with non-Expressive Arts faculty members. Artists included dancers, musicians, animators (like Yuri Norstein), poets, directors, actors, and performance artists (like Scott Turner Schofield) from all around the world.

The first Evergreen Expressions event was guitarist Herb Ellis, held in February 1980. Other Evergreen Expressions events included: The Warrior Queen (a work that combined Orissi with ballet); An Evening of Poetry and Storytelling with Alice Lovelace; Uakti Brazilian Music Ensemble; Athol Fugard's My Children My Africa; Seattle Mime Theater; The Dancers and Musicians of Bali; Larry Reed (Meet the Artists); Jessica Yu's The Living Museum; Ira Glass; Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra's Grand Tou; as well as many others.

Students from the Expressive Arts programs were able to apply for stipends to work on their Senior Theses. These typically were theater, dance, music, or media related and students had to work with a thesis advisor and a thesis committee to oversee their thesis project.

Along with material from the collection, sources include:

https://www.cooperpointjournal.com/2020/03/05/evergreens-theater-community-facing-limitations-after-budget-cuts/

https://www.cooperpointjournal.com/2014/01/17/open-for-communication/

The Cooper Point Journal Volume 6, Issue 1 (October 6, 1977)

https://www.evergreen.edu/magazine/2008fall/teaching