Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1983 - 20

cipally, a larger stagehouse was needed
(grid height and wings) to accommodate
our large musical productions; we also
wanted a wider, shallower house containing 225 additional seats.
The scene shop behind the stage survived the fire with minor damage; it
could be saved and repaired. The office
and dressing room wing, offstage left,
received only water and smoke damage.
It could easily be retained. The front of
the former theatre which contained the
lobby, art gallery and toilet , presented
the greatest dilemma as it was severely
damaged. Rationally, it should be razed and a new one built; nevertheless,
the consensus was reached that it must
be saved and restored. An adaptation
of the old mill's front, this woodpanelled hall containing a massive working stone fireplace, had greeted patrons
for over forty years; we thought it imperative that the same experience of entry to the new theatre should greet our
returning, loyal patrons as a tatement
of continuity, regardless of design and
cost penalties. Hence, we directed architect Bhavnani to faithfully restore it
for symbolic and functional use as a
frame of historical reference for the design of the new, modern sections.
The principal concern in the design
of a theatre is the program: the production needs of the building. Executi\'e
Producer, Angelo Del Rossi, wanted a
theatre that \\'ould uncompromisingly
serve several types of presentations.
But, he knew that a multi-purpose theatre that is stretched in too many directions accommodates nothing well. To
avoid this pitfall, the design team urged
us to prioritize our production requirements; they would then inform u \\'hen
our expectations compromised the facility. We cho e the follo\\'ing order of
importance: I) t\lusical Theatre,
2) Straight Plays, 3) Children's Theatre,
4) Dance,S) Opera, 6) Concerts.
Musical Theatre
Paper Mill's most important program is musical theatre, ranging from
operetta through traditional Broadway
musical comedy to the development of
large scale, original \\·orks. The new
theatre i designed to sen'e thi kind of
use best. This means it ha :
- 1200 seats, a number selected as the
reasonable middle ground between
economic requirements for large
musicals and the desire to create an
intimate ambience for other kinds of
18

Thealre Design & Technolog~

productions. To meet both these
needs, the architect designed a fanshaped house with a sharply raked
floor. Approximately one-third of
the seats are on the mezzanine/balcony level.
An ample proscenium stage. The
proscenium is 40'widex24'high.
Wing space is 30' on each side of the
arch. Stage depth is 50 '. The grid
height is 56' (lowered from the 65 '
designed height, at decision of town
planning board).
An orchestra pit for forty mu icians,
recessed under the stage for half its
depth.
Forty line sets in the counterweight
fly system, with provision for future
addition of fony more. Each is
a five-line set with head blocks
grooved for conversion into a sevenline set.
A single 3' x 6' trap down center
just above the curtain line. We had
reque ted that the entire tage floor
be trapped but due to soil and water
conditions below the stage area such
a large below-stage trap space could
not be safely constructed.
Permanent cable tracks built into
the stage floor to accommodate
Paper i'dill's use of large, heavy
wagon units: twO running across the
tage, se\'en and eight feet upstage
of the curtain line, and one running
up and down stage along the center.
The cable are operated by manual
winches.
Flexibility in stage lighting circuitry
layout with a distribution system of
3- and 6-circuit plugging boxes
dropped from the grid, avoiding all
u e of connector strips and the designation of permanent electric pipes.
This flexible system designed by
Jean Ro enthal Associates i also
u ed in the six front-of-house lighting
positions. Dimmer-per-circuit lighting control is furnished with a present capacity of 192 circuits; provision
is made for a future 96 additional
circuits. Stage dimmers are 2.-lkw
Strand Century CD-80s, and the control panel is Strand Century's Light
Palette.
A basic ound rein forcemcIll and effect system. (Due to the auditory
demand of our more elderly audience O\'er the first season, we are
no\\' installing a more extensive re-

SITT \\'inler 1983

... COllfillued Oil page 22

REBUILDING
THE

PAPER MILL
PLAYHOUSE
Architect: Ashok ;"'1. Bhavnani, A.I.A.
Kelton C. Painchaud. A.I.A., Project
t\lanager
Jan Kouzmanoff, Job Captain
Bruce Fullenon, Assislam
Associate Architect: Roben Heimz, A.I.A.
Theatre Consultant:
Jean Ro emhal Associates, Inc.
Acoustic Consultant:
Peter George Associates, Inc.
Structural Consultant:
Be ier Gibble & Quirin
Mechanical/Electrical Consultant:
I. i\1. Robbins
Landscape Architect:
Quennell Rothschild Associates
Soils Engineering: Thomas

altO

Associates

General Contractor: Samuel Graham, Inc.
Construction Manager:
Allen G. Hegarty. Inc.
Photographer: E to Peler Aaron

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1983