STAGE EQUIPMENT
42 AUDITORIA 2019 VOLUME ONE
shaft hoists that need to work between existing
rigging, as well as a fourth storage hoist to store
the ceilings when maximum space is needed in
the fly space. “The line shaft hoists holding the
forestage reflector are designed to hold 9,072kg
(20,000 lb) apiece,” says Mike Murphy, general
manager of performing arts at Wenger. “These
hoists move the reflector from a vertical storage
position into performance position. These are
large, unique, entirely automated components
that we’re able to customize, test and install for
venues that have a variety of performance needs.”
Install, listen and learn
Once the installation was complete, Threshold
worked with the musicians to tune the equipment.
“We listened to them while they rehearsed and
let them find their way into the space,” says Scott
Pfeiffer, principal at Threshold. “With the
reflective surfaces in place, they were able to be
gentler during quiet passages and change their
techniques depending on what they heard from
the shell and how they heard each other.”
“The connection that the orchestra feels
with the audience and vice versa has gone to
a new level,” says Robin Glosemeyer Petrone,
principal at Threshold Acoustics. “It used to
look like they played in a separate space. By
adding sidewalls downstage of the proscenium
and this reflective surface, we have moved the
orchestra into the room literally and acoustically.
These enhancements make this an extraordinary
experience that neither the orchestra nor the
audience had before.” n
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“The factory visit by the entire design team
and owners was a wonderful way to be able to
test many of the assumptions that were made
about new approaches to the pivot walls, to the
way the finishes were created for the towers,”
says Peter Rosenbaum, associate principal at
FDA. “Having a hands-on session with the
engineers at Wenger was enormously helpful.”
Wenger continued to tweak and improve the
custom design, resulting in a one-of-a-kind shell.
Making it move
Enormous pieces of equipment require strong,
custom rigging. Wenger provided design
assistance with FDA to develop the extensive
rigging needed to move the shell into
performance and storage positions. J.R. Clancy,
a Wenger Corporation brand, designed,
manufactured and installed the rigging for the
reflectors, speakers and scenic elements.
The crux of the rigging centers around two
main areas. The first includes two front-of-house
line shaft hoists that suspend the reflector in
the fly space. The engineering team had to
determine how to make all the pieces
fit overhead when not in use, using
the smallest amount of space.
Additionally, in the forestage
area there are five custom
speaker hoists and three
Titan hoists for the house
curtain and spare sets for
flown scenic elements.
The second area is
the space over the stage.
There are three custom line
THE CONDUCTOR’S VIEW
NAC conductor Alexander Shelley says the
sound and feel of performances at the venue
is now more direct and visceral for both
performers and the audience.
“As soon as I gave the first downbeat, I felt
the change in the sound,” he says. “Whether
you’re sitting in the front row, the middle or the
back, you feel enveloped by the sound. And
now the orchestra has everything it needs to
blossom and bloom.”
Inset: The shell has
a one-off design
Left: A forestage
reflector enables
the orchestra to play
closer to the audience
The NAC
raised its
curtain for
the first time
in 1969
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