Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1982 - 15

in the theatre. When it was time for "Fiddler" to strike, he cut an
exit door in the rear of the stage and let the show out. The
I.A.T.S.E. stage hands assisted Herman by telling him what he
would find once demolition began on July 9.
Because the Boston ballet had to open The Nutcracker in
December, Herman and his crew had five months to remove the
old 108' wide by 28' deep stage house and put up the new 170'
by 104' stage house at a cost of three million dollars. The
demolition company worked around the clock and Herman
quickly learned lighting techniques by which to strike a theatre at
night. Two banks of mercury vapor lamps lit up the all-night
scene.
Yet there were problems. The founding fathers of Boston had
dug dry wells where most of the footings were going that had to
be filled to meet present codes. The old stage was four inches
higher than the plans indicated. So in order to keep the same
sight lines, four inches were added to the new stage house floor
to roof. Foundation, steel and masonry went up in good order.
The work was done quickly but without accident. Major Theatre
Supply installed a new main curtain and rigging for the sound
system. The seats were reupholstered. The sound system, built
by Cramer Electronics, is comprised of a center JBL speaker
cluster powered by five Crown 300 amp mixers with a digital

delay system running to the balcony (also JBL speakers). The
system accepts twelve microphones. The Met's sound system is
augmented by the road show's own speakers at the proscenium
arch and taped effects equipment. Work on the house and lobby
decor and lighting was begun, to be finished "at a later date."
Every effort will be made to keep and restore the original look of
the audience areas. When the ballet opened December 5, some
finish work was still in progress-but the show still went on. The
children, scenic Christmas trees, dry wall crews, and welding
tanks made matinees a bit of a trial which cooperation and
perseverence overcame. The construction was halted for the
matinees and the childen were halted just short of the welding
tanks.
The result is not fancy: no memory board, no hydraulic lifts.
The Met is a road house but with space. The 80' x 60' stage
has Lincoln Center-like wing space, center stage traps (with no
lifts), an enlarged pit with Wrenger Corp. risers, a 10' x 14'
freight elevator, modern dressing rooms and a 80' x 60'
rehearsal room. The proscenium arch is 35' high with 92' from
the floor to the grid. Its loading dock is designed for efficient
arrival and departure of productions. It is a space where the art
of theatre, dance and opera can happen for an audience in one
of the most elegant houses in the world. 0

Detail of the Metropolitan's proscenium arch.

Cross section of the Metropolitan showing, from left to
right, the new stage house, the refurbished auditorium, and
the main lobby. The building to the right of the lobby is a
new 900-car garage.

~~~

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Plan of Metropolitan.
The proscenium arch from the rear in August 1981 as the

~.:=~~~~ new stage house is under construction.
USITI/Summer, 1982

Theatre Design & Technology

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