Theatre tours

[BillConnerFASTC]

Spent today and will continue tomorrow touring theatres with a group if high school teachers. superintendent, and school board member. They're. In midst of planning new pac addition. West Dubuque HS in Epworth, Bettandorf, Davenport, and Augustana College. Tomorrow is Knoxville IL and Geneseo IL. These tours are probably the most enjoyable and memorable activity in 35+ years of consulting. So cool to see smart folks that might not know stage left from right grasp the intricacies of rigging, orchestra pits, theatre chair size, and that illusive quality of theatre - intimacy. Good times. Wish you all could join in.

 

[Amiers]

Go Pro it. Call it FASTC tours IL

 

[Skervald]

Nice to hear some people are interested in investing resources to do it right.

 

[TimMc]

Very cool, Bill. Too often the planning decisions are made in a vacuum or based on photographs and anecdotal text. There's nothing like a site visit to put things in perspective - both visually and from the interviews with facility staff, hands, and producers/presenters in that venue.

When you're done, please share your client(s) experiences with us if you can.

 

[YesItWillWork]

We've got a new facility under construction at the moment - just broken ground a few weeks ago. In the very early stages of the project there was no theatre consultant on the project and we (as the technical staff) were incredibly concerned with the first round of drawings that came out of the architect.

Taking our CEO and some members of the board on tours local venues was incredibly useful in having them understand the intricacies of a theatre's design and why we were being so vocal with our concerns. It paid off for us and they got a consultant on board who has turned what would have been a disaster into something that looks like it is going to be a reasonably functional space.

So from my point of view, taking the people controlling budgets and big decisions as well as the people that will use the space on tours has to be one of the best things you can do.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

There are so many decisions and the interelations are sometimes very hard to see. Without expertise, arrangements and features are seen but the why and reasons are not always evident. Than there are reasons to adjust a detail, but no one involved has much experience so doesnt know what breaks a concept. And architects are visual, and so much about theatre is aural - both what needs to be heard and all that shouldn't be heard. Whomever does the earkiesrt sketches needs to understand all this and rarely does an architect. And those that come close knowvthe need a grest theatre consultant.

But let me say that i am certain one of the best results is that after spending two days riding aroundvin vans, sharing meals, and looking at 8 different theatres in six schols, talking to admin, facilities, teachers, and a group of students this morning, you develop an undersranding and trust based on some common viewing. It makes the bext two years of design and construction collaboration much easier, as you dont need to bring anyone up to speed and convince them of your good intentions.

Also of course good for me to see what others doing.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

PS. The tour group - as least the school representatives - agreed with me. The three most important points to the design of a stage and auditorium are proximity, proximity, and proximity. The relationship and closeness of the performer to the audience is paramount. Do everything possible to minimize the distance between stage and seats. We're no trying to get 850 seats all within 50-55' of stage. That was the realization and solidification of thinking after first tour this morning.

 

[ruinexplorer]

That looks a lot like one of the theaters I used to work at. The orchestra seats could actually come out so that we could do a thrust or round (putting seats on the stage). The FOH electrics all had a tension grid for access so that we could accommodate lighting for those instances. To the best of my knowledge, it was always used as a proscenium house, though we did pull them out for a cabaret once.