Post Classifieds
Savage theater upgrades lighting
By Sarah Guenther
On March 26, 2012
A new lighting system will be constructed in the Flexible Theater in the Donald Savage
Theater and Communication building this June.
"The current system is quite old and many replacement parts were becoming difficult to
obtain," said Steve Shaffer, Buffalo State's manager of design and construction. "The
repairs were no longer practical."
The fuses had blown, and the lights went out earlier this semester. The students and staff
knew the equipment approaching its 20-year mark had taken its last breath, explained
Shannon Schweitzer an assistant professor in the theater department.
"It became a huge safety concern," Schweitzer said. "We're currently having to rent
dimmers. Right now we're only using 24 dimmers for our musical, and before the failure
we were using 140."
It will cost an estimated $250,000 to replace the theatrical lighting system. When the
approval was granted, the management and design team were able to make the blueprints
for the new system. The new system will have LED light bulbs and be much more energy
efficient.
"$250,000 is a lot of money, but the new lights will conserve energy which will bring us
lower electricity bills in the future," Schweitzer said.
The project is currently in the works and Buffalo State is seeking out qualified
contractors to complete the work. Renovations will hopefully be finished at the end of
August in time for classes to resume.
The theater in Savage is not only used for performances but it also functions as a
classroom to teach various courses in acting and lighting design. It is difficult to teach
students about contemporary equipment they would find on Broadway using outdated
lighting in the industry, Schweizter said.
"In the theater department, students are given assignments and opportunities to work
directly with the equipment," said Drew Kahn, the chair of the theater department.
"Running the lighting board for the upcoming musical, 'Working,' will be an awesome
way for me to work with the equipment," said Carmella Losi, a sophomore theater major.
Losi will not be working with the new equipment in the musical. She is taking a one-
credit practicum in lighting design and will be able to see the transition to the new
equipment in the near future.
"It will be very hands on, which I love about being a student in this department," Losi
said.
Many students who work in stage management and in lighting design are excited for the
changes. The renovations will not just affect those students, but all of those participating
in performances.
The theater students are unable to put on the type of the performances the department
expects with the lack of working equipment, Schweitzer said.
"The overall quality of the acting will improve," he said.
To comment on this story, contact The Record at bscrecord@gmail.com.
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