Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1976 - 26

Timber Lake Playhouse: Exterior view.
production technical staff included a technical director,
two carpenters, a property master, an electrician, and one
scenic artist. This small staff, twelve days of construction
time, and a two-and-a-half day change-over period necessitated a stage space that would limit the amount of
scenery required for visually satisfying productions.
For these reasons some sort of thrust design seemed
preferable. Finally, because a stage house was too costly,
a revolve was proposed as an integral part of the stage
machinery.
The Board wished to retain the intimacy and the single
price policy that had proved successful in the original
build ing, so a simi lar aud itorium layout was selected.
Audiences might vary in size from an overflow of 500
for musicals to a modest 150 for a play by Shaw or Albee.
Nine or ten widely arching rows, as steeply raked as possible, seemed attractive and insured good sight lines. In
addition, audience comfort included air conditioning,
with heating a possibility for year-round operation.
Finally, fond memories of the original structure's
handmade charm prompted a desire that that the new
building blend well into the natural wooded setting.
But the rural location required a fire-resistant structure
to obtain the most economical insurance rates.
A model floor plan was drawn by the theatre's resident scenic designer. This floor plan was submitted to
the staff architect of CONSTRUX, the local Armco
dealer, and a few refinements were made. The arch itect
researched grading, roof supports, materials, and the
dealer submitted a bid. The Playhouse Board made the
decision to become its own general contractor in order
to utilize contributed materials and labor as much as
possible. The construction of the foundation and all
interior concrete work, however, was supervised by the
Armco dealer as part of his contract to furnish and erect
the Armco building. Further services from the dealer

WINTER. 1976

included architectural drawings for the decorative
front porch and drainage plans for the surrounding site.
Ground was broken on December 2, 1974, jsut six and
one-half months before the first production of the 1975
season was slated to open.
Predictably, when Carousel opened the 1975 season
on June 20, many minor parts of the theatre were still
not quite finished. However, the building was workable
with all major systems such as plumbing, stage lighting,
and air conditioning intact. Work continued throughout
the summer. The turntable, for example, did not become
operable until late July. Even after two seasons - fifteen
months after the initial groundbreaking - certain areas
inside the building have not been completed. Interior
walls, surfaced with unfinished Sheetrock, the ceiling, and
backstage areas all require appropriate painting to minimize the problems of reflected and spill light. The construction of foyers at the back of the auditorium is also
needed both for orderly access and for improved acoustics. These unfinished items are an example of disadvantages which may occur when a building owner assumes
the responsibility of general contractor. The Board of
Directors, however, decided early that mortgage liability
should only be incurred for facilities critical to safe utilization of the building. Yearly capital budgets would have
to provide funds for the completion of interior decoration.
A final tally of building costs to date indicates that
approximately $192,000 has been invested in the new
Timber Lake Playhouse. This figure includes nearly
$65,000 worth of contributed time, materials, and pledges
made during the initial rebuilding campaign. Although
the Board faces the retirement of a $55,000 mortgage,
each season brings additional improvements and refinements to an exciting theatre faci Iity.
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THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

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