[SML] Sovereignty over your stages

[Duncan Mahoney]

*Matthew J. Evans* asks:
"Hi colleagues working at Colleges and Universities,
I'm asking a favor. Will you please respond back to me in an email your
response to the following question?
What is your Theatre Departments relationship with your Facilities
Management or Physical Plants team, regarding sovereignty over your
stages?
In other words are you allowed to transform the physical space or do you
have to request permission from the management of Facilities?
For example, are you allowed to paint the floor and backstage walls, screw
into the stage floors, attach items to the backstage walls, remove doors,
or build scenery into the house? What other type of adjustments do you make
in your spaces?
What skill sets are you expected to know to have complete sovereignty over
your space?"

This seems an interesting enough topic that I'd like to see the responses,
so I'll send mine to the list at large

I'm not sure anyone's truly sovereign over their space even if they own the
building, a lot depends on the local laws/codes and AHJ.

The dividing line on our campus is between the "building systems" and the
"theatrical systems".  The School of Dramatic Arts is responsible for the
latter, which includes the counterweight rigging system in our proscenium
theater.  With freedom comes responsibility, and vise-versa.

In the black box theaters, the seating risers are "theatrical systems", we
can (and do) move them at will.  The completed audience layout must meet all
local ADA, Fire, and Life Safety codes, and the AHJ does check periodically.


The power outlets the dimmer bars are plugged into are "building systems",
if we need a new one we pay Facilities to install it.  If the outlet fails,
they fix it.  But everything that plugs into that outlet is our
responsibility, and we need to be sure that our lighting equipment and
cables are properly maintained, installed and meet the electrical code.  

We may not cut holes in fire walls, disturb flame retardant coatings, or
remove/disable fire doors.  Other than those restrictions we may paint and
screw into all the walls and floors as we desire but...the eventual cost of
replacement or repair will be borne by us, not Facilities.  We change the
location of pipes in the grids and hang equipment as desired, within the
structural capacity of the grid.  In the black box theaters the line between
"stage" and "house" is pretty blurry, we tend to be very conservative when
it comes to hanging scenery over the audience and Life Safety Code
clearances apply, but we do sometimes put scenery behind the audience.  We
install permanent theatrical systems like hard wired monitors, DMX networks,
sound "snake" runs, etc. on our own in accordance with the applicable codes 

Things are a bit less free in the house of the proscenium theater, there is
a donor covenant restricting the color of the house, and any large amount of
scenery installed in the house may trigger a discussion with the AHJ because
it's on the "wrong" side of the fire curtain, or if it impairs an exit aisle
in any way.  Of course we can't block the fire curtain, and have to create
an acceptable solution if there is a platform breaking the plaster line.
The backstage walls and stage floor are painted as each production requires
and we secure scenery to either as needed.  

Duncan Mahoney
Director of Technical Direction
Associate Professor of Theatre Practice
University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts