HS Fixture Inventory

Was out on a site survey at a high school/jr. high school combination from 1950' today. They do plays and even musicals on the stage - but seemingly seperate programs in doing such things. Junior HS was added to the school in consolidating. The Gymatorium with origional vinyl drapes had a 70' wide stage but only about 20' deep. No off stage rooms accessable directly from the stage, but there was stage left access from an off stage doorway seperate from the Gym to a hallway with adjacent classrooms. Somewhat typical Gymatorum design from the 20's thru the late 50's, if not good for such a class of them I have seen. But wow that 70' wide stage with the un-used drapery legs following a remodel on the same track as the boarders so they could not downsize the width. Bars hanging the boarders (installed backwards) were for some reason moved in pipe to rigging from the full stage leg tracks. Literally used some of the carriers from the legs to mount the pipe for the boarders in many cases. Love visiting theaters and seeing what's been done or interesting stuff as opposed to mostly flying a desk at work, even if a 2+ hour drive each way.

Lighting inventory:
-2x banks of 3 or 4 circuit (all white) strip lights above the stage. At some point in the last 40 years the strip lights were serviced given the BX (AC) conduit feeding them I think. Controlled by some fairly new circuit breaker relay switches in a modified breaker panel on stage right set into a larger hole with some old brass or bronze plates covering the rest of the hole.
-Loaned/rented for shows for in gym front lighting, some DJ truss booms with par cans.

-Six sets three bracket each wing mounted side arm swivels for mounting some form of probably incandescent PC fixtrue. Long gone. Love at least seeing the brackets still there even if fixture and assembly long gone. Can still see what the concept was.
At least two small floor pockets perminantly sealed by a thick layer of polyurethane needed for the shuffleboard grid printed on the stage.

And the second floor door above stage right with a ladder going up to it. Director of the theater had appairently never looked into what was behind that door. Was curious why there was a door to a sort of closet up there above the stage? He took pictures of the years old grafitti on the inside of the door. QOTD... why a room above stage right?
 
Was out on a site survey at a high school/jr. high school combination from 1950' today. (SNIP)

And the second floor door above stage right with a ladder going up to it. Director of the theater had appairently never looked into what was behind that door. Was curious why there was a door to a sort of closet up there above the stage? He took pictures of the years old grafitti on the inside of the door. QOTD... why a room above stage right?

I would wonder if that would have been a lighting booth of sorts? In a building we formally occupied had a similar space in that location that had a port hole to view the stage. Though that space was older than yours as I believe it was originally a 1920s era construction. It still had until a couple of years ago the original electrical install of resistance dimmers. With the change of use when we vacated that was all torn out but appeared untouched despite many decades since its decommissioning.

Dan
 
My old HS has just over a dozen working lekos of mixed Source Four / Strand Axial Lekolite origin, about six scoops, maybe a dozen fresnels, front coloured foots, (decommissioned) rear coloured foots, four colour cyc, midstage (incandescent) colour wash, and two followspots.

Some miscellaneous old effect lights laying around, and they've got a Geyser in their inventory that can't be used because the entire building switched to optical smoke detectors.
 
"I would wonder if that would have been a lighting booth of sorts? In a building we formally occupied had a similar space in that location that had a port hole to view the stage. Though that space was older than yours as I believe it was originally a 1920s era construction. It still had until a couple of years ago the original electrical install of resistance dimmers. With the change of use when we vacated that was all torn out but appeared untouched despite many decades since its decommissioning."

You are really really close of sorts for this, and in your past case concept, very related. In your case there just might have been an operator for levers - they were less a light board operator than just pulling levers some times with a broomstick in bulk per cues. Hole was not to look thru in the concept of doing cues in a lesser system with cue locks per what's needed on stage. Window less to see the stage as not much time in operating the system, but to hear directions during rehearsals. In the 20's and earlier I can attest to a old school telephone based com system in use. Used one, (hated it) there was such a thing as boosters so you could hear. Mostly it was blindly following stage manager cues in pulling levers.

Not in this case - but really similar in a technology advance from your observation. Thanks in that - I have never seen before what you describe. (Moderators... new topic?)
 
At the HS (combination middle & high, grades 7 thru 12) I volunteer at we have

22 ETC S4 with 3 10 degree lenses for follow spots, 18 26 degree lenses & 4 36 degeree lenses
18 Altman Shakespeare S6 with 15 - 35 degree lenses (also have 2 5 degree, 3 40 degree & 3 50 degree lenses)
6 Altman Fresnels
6 Colortran Fresnels
4 Chauvet Ovation C-640FC LED Cyc Lights
10 old Altman R40 strip lights 6' 12 lamp 4 circuit

Approx 300 seat auditorium with a catwalk, HL & HR approx 8' vertical wall mounts and 3 electrics
 
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