David Ashton
Well-Known Member
The state government has been building new $1-3million school theatres, either new buildings or refurbished gymnasiums, the first one was a new building, the architect placed the control room behind the stage, to be operated through audio and video monitors and the front lighting bar was 1metre behind the front of the stage, the school drama teacher and manager created a fuss and the architect reluctantly cut a hole in the back wall and created a control booth with a spiral staircase to access it from the foyer but it did upset the architects vision of a high foyer, after the theatre was handed over we installed 2 real F O H bars which we salvaged from their old perfectly functional theatre and made the venue serviceable.
The next was a very functional theatre venue which had a big stage put on one end, all the existing bars which were every 2m apart were removed and winched bars put over the stage, no front of house bars, the most forward bar is 2m behind the front of the stage, they also had the brilliant idea of projecting the scenery on the cyc with an expensive projector.The problem is that the actors have to stay 3m away from the cyc to not shadow the video but have to be 3m back from the front of stage to be in light, it could be a new acting technique called corridor acting.
There was also fitted a very expensive fire curtain, which was not required under code and the room at the back of the theatre which was in perfect position could not be used because it would have to be fitted with a disabled lift, even though it is a multi level school with no disabled facilities or students.
The next school is being built now, we saw the consultants advice, perfectly good, but they are over budget so they had to cut out some areas, once again they cut out the front of house lighting bars and the control room.
In pure frustration at the blind stupidity I wrote to the government minister and got a letter back explaining that do to budget constraints compromises had to be made.
Had he bothered to read my letter he would have understood that of course compromises could be made in the hugely overpowered PA or the fire curtain or many areas but not in the F O H lighting bars which light the actors faces.
Anyway I won't have to worry about it for a while as I set sail on Monday, hopefully for a round the World trip, so I won't be annoying you or the minister for the next 2 or 3 years.
And when I get back I can look forward to a new genre of W Australian stage lighting, but I doubt it will catch on.
The next was a very functional theatre venue which had a big stage put on one end, all the existing bars which were every 2m apart were removed and winched bars put over the stage, no front of house bars, the most forward bar is 2m behind the front of the stage, they also had the brilliant idea of projecting the scenery on the cyc with an expensive projector.The problem is that the actors have to stay 3m away from the cyc to not shadow the video but have to be 3m back from the front of stage to be in light, it could be a new acting technique called corridor acting.
There was also fitted a very expensive fire curtain, which was not required under code and the room at the back of the theatre which was in perfect position could not be used because it would have to be fitted with a disabled lift, even though it is a multi level school with no disabled facilities or students.
The next school is being built now, we saw the consultants advice, perfectly good, but they are over budget so they had to cut out some areas, once again they cut out the front of house lighting bars and the control room.
In pure frustration at the blind stupidity I wrote to the government minister and got a letter back explaining that do to budget constraints compromises had to be made.
Had he bothered to read my letter he would have understood that of course compromises could be made in the hugely overpowered PA or the fire curtain or many areas but not in the F O H lighting bars which light the actors faces.
Anyway I won't have to worry about it for a while as I set sail on Monday, hopefully for a round the World trip, so I won't be annoying you or the minister for the next 2 or 3 years.
And when I get back I can look forward to a new genre of W Australian stage lighting, but I doubt it will catch on.
