An Administrator’s Guide to Auditorium and Theatre Care
Public opinion about your school isn’t always tied to the success of your athletic program or the percentage of National Merit Scholars in your building. It is also influenced by the appearance and functionality of its major public areas: your football stadium, basketball arena and auditorium.
The upkeep of football fields or gymnasiums is straightforward, and the processes are familiar. Theatres and auditoriums are more complex, involving multiple systems and requiring more care than vacuuming and replacing light bulbs. Lighting, audio, rigging, flooring, stage drapes, and the control systems they interact with can deteriorate quickly if regular maintenance is delayed and inspection protocols are ignored.
There are at least two culprits in this scenario.
1. The individual who encouraged the purchase of these systems didn’t explain or understand what it meant practically to own them.
2. Auditorium management, needs and procedures are not clearly defined.
To the first point, we always want the best for our students and schools – the newest, the fastest and the safest. And although we are conscious of costs, we often buy what we understand will better benefit student learning and experience. Too often, however, that’s where our investment stops.
There is no reason to expect a school administrator to understand the intricacies of theatrical systems, maintenance requirements and ongoing needs. However, we often exacerbate the issue by not hiring a qualified individual to run the venue – an individual who schedules all events (school day and extracurricular), assigns staff, determines who gets trained to use the equipment, and is ultimately responsible for taking care of the place.
Who Oversees Your Theatre?
The individual tasked with this job should understand how theatres work, not theatre the art form, but the venue. Hiring someone who “has done” theatre is typical but doesn’t always yield an individual equipped to do the job well. This job is more than just keeping the stage floor mopped and the aisles vacuumed. The person assigned must understand the systems common to the theatre, be empowered to fix issues or identify someone who can do the work.
While it is unlikely you will find someone with a comprehensive knowledge of theatrical entertainment systems, most theatre technicians typically know something about most theatre systems. They can at least give you a more informed opinion. This person should also know about standards, accepted best practices, procedural guidelines and required equipment inspections.
This individual will also be your principal trainer and identify individuals to run the equipment. Likely, these will be students but can include other school staff.
The Cost of Doing Business
A former principal of mine referred to the money spent on inspections as the “cost of doing business.” He was specifically referring to the money spent annually by the school district for a rigging inspection. Although he may not have been aware of the specific issues presented by counterweight rigging, he readily appreciated the importance of the inspection and acting on its findings. He understood the meaning of “Standard of Care.”
No one is surprised by the need for ongoing maintenance of the machinery used in our schools, but this also applies to the machinery in our theatres. Stage rigging, lighting systems, audio systems, internal communications, stage flooring, ventilation systems, and data communication systems are all parts of the “machinery of theatre” and require maintenance and, often, inspections. Most systems listed will require infrequent repair; however, repairs become more common and costly if they are not maintained.
It is to your advantage to have your systems looked at on a regular basis. Typical inspections include:
Audio Systems
The inspector will look at functionality, new issues and fix problems; even those created by well-intentioned but inexperienced users. They may also aid in the repair of microphones and other equipment. The inspector may be the person who installed the equipment or an AV consultant.
Lighting Systems
As lighting systems have become more complex, their power distribution, control and communication systems have required upgrades to support the new technologies. Gone are the days of replacing a light bulb and plugging it in. All of these will benefit from a periodic visit by the lighting company that installed your equipment or another qualified person.
Regarding lighting and sound, it is common to use the people who sold you the equipment to do the inspection. In most instances, they are more concerned that their equipment is working well and that you are satisfied with the systems. Typically, they are not going to try and sell you something new.
Stage Floor
Depending on the nature of your floor, the most you may need to do is keep it swept and mopped and then paint it once or twice a year. However, being attentive to warping, trip hazards and other issues will mitigate more significant problems later.
Communication Protocols
Likely the purview of your IT department, data communication for lighting and, increasingly, audio systems will often live on your school’s data network. Similarly, most control boards (lighting and audio) have remote functions available over proprietary or school Wi-Fi networks.
Rigging
As we have described other inspections as a means of ensuring usability and general upkeep of your equipment, rigging inspections are specified by OSHA *1926.1501(a)(6) and often are mandated by the manufacturers. Manufacturers, rigging companies and rigging experts have developed an inspection standard in coordination with the Technical Standards Program of the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA). ANSI Standard E1. 47 (Recommended Guidelines for Entertainment Rigging System Inspections) outlines the nature and frequency of your inspections. If you have motorized rigging, you must be inspected annually or risk losing your warranty.
In addition to inspections, it is paramount that individuals using your rigging system have adequate training.
Regardless of the complexity of your performance space, informed oversight, inspections, regular maintenance and welltrained users will aid in ensuring its continued usefulness.
Questions for Administrators:
Are your wireless microphones FCC compliant?
Where are the fire retardancy certificates for your stage drapes?
What was the date of your last rigging inspection?
Is the front of your stage guarded against falls?
Is the ventilation system in your scene shop/stage area adequate for use of aerosol paints?
Who do you expect to tell you if something is broken in your theatre?
Who is empowered to create an invoice for the purchase of new or replacement equipment?
Who is empowered to create a work order?
What training should your theatre teacher have to use the auditorium/theatre safely?
Footnote
*1926.1501(a)(6) – A thorough, annual inspection of the hoisting machinery shall be made by a competent person, or by a government or private agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. The employer shall maintain a record of the dates and results of inspections for each hoisting machine and piece of equipment.
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