Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1993 - 20

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Above
Exterior of the new Allen Pavilion of

e Elizabethan

Theatre os seen from the a ractively landscaped
Feshvol grounds

Opo,ite poge
Technical drawings of the Elizabethan Theatre
with the addition of the new Allen Pavilion

Top: The bolcony Roor plan.
Middle: The orcheslra floor plan
BaHom: A section view of renovated theatre

18

1993 SPRING

TD&T

srage would be dwarfed. \Xfhar happened
is rhar one feels closer [Q rhe srage and
aC[Qrs. "
"The envelopmenr of rhe audience by
rhe srrucrure focuses arrenrion on rhe
srage," commenrs Ticholson. Yer in
designing such a srrucrure, l\ lacleod said
care was rake ro avoid rhe "ballpark
look."
The number of sears remained abour
rhe same since rhe inrenrion was ro
enhance whar was already rhere, nor [Q
increase revenue by adding more sears.
Adding sears would have derracred from
rhe feeling of inrimacy rhar has been
accom plished, Hay and l\ lacleod borh
pOlI1r our.
The Pavilion
...,.- ,
was shaped in a
way rhar made as
many surfaces as
possible useful
acousric reflecrors, according
[Q Joseph l\ lyers
of R. lawrence
Kirkegaard &
Associares
(acousrics consulranrs).
"Mosr perrinenr was rhe
rime delay berween rhe direcr
sound and rhe
reflecred sound
rhar bounces off
rhe walls of rhe
Pavilion,"
he
explains. "We
carefully angled
and rreared rhe
surfaces so rhar
where possible
rhe delay would be less rhan 1/20 of a
second."
A longer delay would cause rhe audience [Q perceive rhe reflecred sounds, or
echoes, as being disrincr and overlapping
sounds, making performances confusing
and less clear. \X!here ir wasn'r possible [Q
angle rhe surfaces, absorprive marerials
were added.
The curved shape of rhe back wall
rends [Q focus sound back ro rhe srage ar
a long rime delay. II' was rherefore imporranr [Q rill' and shape rhe underside of rhe
balcony 1'0 inrercepr rhis parh and
bounce rhe sound down 1'0 rhe parrons
under rhe balcony
"For parrons sirring under rhe balcony
rhe effecr makes ir seem as if some of rhe
sound is coming from above, as rhe resr
of rhe audience acrually experiences ir,"
explains Myers. "Orherwise, parrons

would experience a 'TV' sound coming
from one direcrion wirh no reverberarion
and giving no sense of being in a larger
space."
Because all of rhe Pavilion's surfaces
are exposed ro wearher, selecrion of
acousric marerial was also a challenge.
The marerial needed ro wirhsrand rhe
elemenrs while also being colorable ro
suir rhe archirecrure, durable enough [Q
avoid damage when people brush up
againsr iI', and highly absorprive because
of rhe focusing geomerry of rhe rear wall.
nce rhe decision had
been made ro surround
rhe audience wirh walls
and a parrial roof ro
reduce exrerior noise, rhe
porenrial for new lighring posirions also
became apparenr. It was possible ro move
lighring posirions from open rowers
flanking rhe srage [Q a higher locarion ar
rhe roof edge. The roof edge posirions
were enclosed from an open-air carwalk
ro a fully enclosed gallery wirh head
room for a 6'-2" elecrrician. Addirional
lighring posirions were developed ar rhe
rear of rhe audience enclosure and ar rhe
balcony faces.
The scope of rhe rower lighring
increased during rhe design process finally occupying rwo rowers ar each side of
rhe srage. In all, rhe lighring insrrumenrs
were increased from 175 [Q 400 and rhe
conrrol circuirs from 60 [Q 350. In addirion, new lighring posirions and angles
provide a grearer range of possibiliries for
rhe lighring designer.
"In rerrospecr, rhe former lighring
posirions nor only limired our abiliries,
bur inrruded on people in rhe back of rhe
audience," explains Hay. "We found rhe
old rowers formed a frame rhar people
had ro look beyond ro see rhe srage."
Previously rhe srage lighring creared
ambienr glare rhar IiI' rhe audience, says
Auerbach. Now, rhe lighring is very subde and well shielded, rhus avoiding rhese
problems. Ir also provides for an enrire
new array of side and cross lighring.
Specially manufacrured [Qp hars designed
by Hay eliminare all ambienr lighr on rhe
srage house roof caused by rhe new, higher lighring posirions.
\X!hile rhe resulrs of rhe new lighring
capabiliries are posirive, rhe increase in
rhe number of conrrol channels rook
rwice rhe amounr of rime 1'0 program
rhan previously, according ro Hay, which
caused delays during rhe rechnical
rehearsals for lasr year's plays.
The primary goal for rhe archirecrural
lighring was ro design ir in a way rhar was
as unobrrusive as possible, explains

O
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1993
