I prefer a closed space for lighting unless you can be far from any audience members. Most sound folks prefer to be in the open where they can clearly hear what the audience hears. My picture shows our local HS auditiorium seating 1300. Both control positions are open at the back of the house...
I, too, work at a small theater using a security system. The IR is great for seeing in the dark, but the latency is quite long because of all the video processing. It makes calling visual cues off the monitor very difficult.