If its 'going to be awhile' before they do anything, then this is your chance to start educating them about how
theatre and
theatre buildings work. As a community, we drill it into everyone to not let the general public know how the magic is made, but ignorance can be our enemy when it comes time to update or repair any
theatre system. Think of the scene in
The Wizard of Oz where Toto pulls-back the curtain and exposes the
Wizard and his great machine. He says "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". Well, that won't work when you are dealing with the people that control the facility budgets.
At every opportunity you need to get Administrators and School Board Members backstage, show them how a show is operated (including explaining why a ton of hardware over the crew and performer's heads could be very dangerous if not well maintained). Have them help with the
running crew, get their hands dirty, and maybe raise a blister or two. I don't know who originally said it, but "
Involve me and I will learn." can work wonders (or, should there be a horrific accident with lots of bills and legal payments, then it becomes "
Invoice me and I will learn.") It's great that they have renovated the part of the magic show in front of the curtain, but they need to understand there will be no magic show behind the curtain if they don't fix that part, too.
Maybe look at getting some interim funding to hire a professional (i.e. a
Theatre Consultant) to visit your
venue and create an objective assessment report [refer to attached white paper]. This report can provide a basis for planning long term funding. Many things have changed in the last 60 years with regard to equipment technology, how we produce
theatre, and building
safety regulations. There are many aspects of a
theatre plant that may require renovation, the rigging being just part of the list. For a
theatre to function, ALL of the building systems have to work together in harmony (work lighting,
stage lighting, run of show lighting, rigging,
drapes, dimming control and
power distribution, sound and intercommunications, floors, storage [and
more storage], shops, dressing rooms, make-up areas,
loading dock,
HVAC [and
HVAC machinery noise], Fire Alarm, Fire &
Smoke Protection, Green Room,
Orchestra Shells,
Orchestra Lifts, Doors [sliding, swinging, and overhead],
etc.). Planning to replace 'old' with a brand new version of 'old' is not making any progress and will doom your programs to mediocrity. Everything has changed since that
venue was first planned, so involving a planner that thoroughly understands how all of these things interact and can affect the functionality of a
venue is vital to making a plan and budget for the community to get behind. Renovations must plan for what will likely be 'mainstream technology'
by the time the renovation is complete so it can provide a relevant teaching environment for the students.
Making the argument for real-world applicability of
theatre training is a key
element.
Theatre training provides valuable job skills for ANY future job. The world-wide entertainment industry employs millions of people in thousands of positions from engineering and architecture to sales, technical support, and artistic output. If anyone needs any 'evidence' of this, just have them watch the credits (ALL OF THEM) at the end of a movie. Every one of those people listed
put dinner on the table because of the entertainment industry (and that's just the movie business). Search the term 'Arts Advocacy' and you will find lots of articles and white papers that have been written about the value that
fine arts programs in schools bring to the students.