At London’s Globe, Shakespearean stagehands filtered candlelight through red wine to evoke a lusty, passionate mood. Contemporary playhouses stick to gel filters and drink the vino instead, but lighting remains just as transformative. Lights are moved, patterned and dimmed but rarely turned off. Except in the case of renovation, says Susan Harper, executive director of Asheville Community Theatre.
“We’re in the dark for six months,” Harper says, explaining ACT’s three-stage remodel. Afforded by donations and a grant from the Tourism Product Development Fund, the $1,372,000 overhaul will bring the 44-year-old facility into the 21st century.
Phase 1 involves a main and backstage reconstruction. Two local firms, McMillian Pazdan Smith and H&M Constructors, are installing new dressing and green rooms. In Phase 2, restrooms and offices will be expanded. A new black-box theater will be built, too. Finally, Phase 3 will turn a storage building into an educational space.
“The demolition and rebuilding of walls came first,” Harper says. “At the moment, we’re addressing mechanical and electrical issues that will bring our building up to code. Finishes come last.”
A cacophony of hammers and drills doesn’t make for good drama, so ACT is closed for now. But the company’s actors are still holding the stage, thanks to a partnership with UNC Asheville.
Harper says joining forces with UNCA to put on Peter and the Starcatcher has “brought richness and complexity” and allowed ACT staff members to continue doing what they do best: “delighting audiences with high-quality performances.”
The new Asheville Community Theatre will be unveiled in August with Mel Brooks’ The Producers. — L.S.
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