[SML] more theatre design thoughts...

[Paul Schreiner]

>> what is your favorite theatre/performance facility, and why? Which is your
>> least favorite, and why?
>
> Oh man....  I don't think I can answer either of those. I sure can't limit
> it to one of each.

I'll try.  There are different reasons for each of the favorites--for
example, I have a favorite road house to visit cuz the crew is
incredible--but I'm going to limit myself to a space's utility as a
theatre/performing arts space based on physical structure.  And for
that, I have to tip my hat to the Studio Theatre in Squires Hall on
the Virginia Tech campus, designed by my mentor Randy Ward.  No,
there's no traditional flyspace...but damned if it's not the easiest
space I've ever been in to rig.  Or light.  There's not a bad angle in
the space.  Incredibly flexible, good acoustics, and very easily
updatable.

Least favorite?  I'm going to confine myself to spaces that were
originally intended to be used as theatres, rather than anything where
it was a retrofit (and therefore you can't really blame them for
having certain suboptimal characteristics).  And for that I'm going to
have to point at one of the unnamed (or forgotten-named...I may have
repressed the memory) Florida retirement community "arts center"
facilities in and around St. Petersburg.  The stage was about 8' deep,
one single backlight pipe way upstage, nothing overhead, but with the
closest front position about 40' from the front of the stage.  Oh, and
with a 12' ceiling across the whole space (so only about 8'6 above
deck height--measured from the lowest point in the orchestra), so
everything was flat.

And the stage was on the second floor, so the load-in happened by
passing stuff up to the roof of the truck in order to hand it in the
elevated "dock" door.

I still shake my head...