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During his 10 years teaching, O’Neil has observed the trend
toward more technology, including digital sound boards and
automated moving lights. In a similar way, he contends that
10 years ago they would have built their own big wooden
platforms to accomplish what the flipFORMS can do more easily
today. And his students are starting to share his reliance on
Wenger equipment.
“I asked some students to figure out a prop table for our fall
show and I assumed they would borrow one of the school’s
white folding tables,” recalls O’Neil. “Instead they used large
Stage Boxes as a base, with a flipFORMS unit as the tabletop.”
Audience Seating: Flexible, Comfortable
A theatrical performance, by definition, requires an audience.
Wenger solutions ensure the audience will enjoy a comfortable
experience with good sight lines.
For audience seating, Wenger offers several options designed
for flexible theatre spaces like black boxes. Upper Deck Audience
Seating Tiered Risers were designed to provide large-capacity
He says audiences had been accustomed to basic seating
before, which wasn’t very comfortable. Wooden 4-foot-by-8-
foot platforms and folding chairs were used, or chairs from other
areas. Larson had been very concerned about safety with the old
system and was anxious for a change.
Along with improved safety, Luther College wanted to create
a flexible space that could be modified to suit the production.
“Without a significant investment of labor or time, the Upper
Deck now enables us to do one show as an arena and the next
as thrust,” explains Larson.
Since 2002, the Jewel Theatre has not had two seating designs
exactly the same, according to Tom Berger, theatre/dance
technical director. “There have been similarities of course,” he
explains. “We do whatever will work for the production.” Berger
claims seating is the first thing they discuss for a production.
“We talk about how the space will be set up and then work on
designing sets.”
Before the Upper Deck, Berger says every event was really
two productions—first setting up the seating and then building
Roger Mastroianni
Wenger’s Stage Boxes can also be used to create any sort of rehearsal furniture,
including this tropical bar.
A moment from A Soldier’s Tale at Cleveland Play House. CPH uses Wenger’s Upper Deck
Audience Seating Tiered Risers in their intimate Baxter Stage space.
tiered seating for 75 or more people. Setup and reconfiguration
are fast and easy, with corner sections available to help maximize
space and flexibility.
In 2002, the Cleveland Play House (CPH) purchased one of
the first Upper Deck systems. It creates seating for 312 people
on a thrust-style stage that is erected inside the stage area and
partially into the house of the larger Bolton Theatre. “The Baxter
Stage has been used to present some of the most intimate
stories we tell,” says Lisa Craig, CPH’s public relations manager.
Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, features an Upper Deck
system inside the Jewel Theatre, its black box space. Bob Larson,
professor of theatre, recalls, “Our three seating needs were
safety, flexibility and comfort—in that order.”
the actual set. He believes the Upper Deck system really speeds
up this process.
“In just a few hours, we can now do setups that took two
weeks before,” declares Berger. Student workers set up the
Upper Deck and Berger says it’s really easy to figure out, even
with the constant turnover of student crews. The maximum
seating capacity is 275, but average event seating in the Jewel
ranges from 200 to 230.
“Overall, I’m pleased with Upper Deck system,” concludes
Berger. “It’s really cut down on our work load, it’s quiet and the
chairs are comfortable.”
Luther purchased Wenger’s Portable Audience Chairs, which
feature fold-up versatility and unmatched luxury. They are ideal
www.wengercorp.com
THEATRE RESOURCES DIRECTORY 2010 7