Theater Projects

Monday, October 04, 2010

10:56 AM
New drama theatres
The seating in the large multipurpose theatres above is highly efficient. Their large size and high seat count
mean many seats are served by the system of aisles and exits at each auditorium level. A survey of smaller
drama theatres designed by Theatre Projects, recently opened or in the planning stages, gives a more typical
picture of floor area per seat in current design practice.
These theatres are similar in configuration and size. They are all small drama theatres with audience galleries
– we call this form a “courtyard theatre.” Two have a proscenium form. The others can be configured in several
seating layouts, but the data are for the end stage/proscenium form for “apples to apples” comparison. The
theatres have similar users – mostly professional theatre companies or professional theatre training programs.

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This is another example of Theater Projects courtyard theaters

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Plano Courtyard Theater opens in Texas.

April 25, 2002

On Tuesday, April 23, 2002, the Plano Courtyard Theatre held a dedication ceremony to mark its official
opening in Plano, Texas. The ceremony was hosted by the Mayor Jeran Akers and the Council of the City
of Plano. Benton Delinger, the TPC Project Manager, and John Runia, TPC Design Consultant, were on
hand to extend best wishes to all those involved in the new facility.

Interior view of theatre.

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Interior view of theatre.
In the fall of 1999, the Plano City Council established a tax increment finance district in downtown Plano.
Four and a half million dollars of the projected income from the district was earmarked for the creation
of the Courtyard Theater. This project is an adaptive re -use of the Cox Annex, a historic structure located
in Haggard Park Historic District. The building's flexible design makes it well suited for theater, music,
lectures, receptions, and other special events.

Exterior view of building.

The Cox gymnasium/auditorium was built in 1938 as a Works Progress Administration project.
Interestingly, it was constructed on almost the exact location of the Civic Auditorium ( 1909) which had
been built by subscriptions pledged by Plano citizens. Here the Lyceum was held in winter, and in
summer the Chautauqua, founded in 1914, was held.

Theatre set up in arena mode.

The Courtyard Theater is a valuable new asset to the cultural life of Plano. The project design preserves
and incorporates both the historic materials and style of the exisiting building.

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and incorporates both the historic materials and style of the exisiting building.

Benton Delinger, TPC Project Manager, discusses theatre systems with Plano Repertory Theater
Technical Director, Russell Read.
The audience chamber is a 325-seat, flexible theater. Modular seating platforms can be re -configured to
create an end-stage, thrust-stage or arena stage setup. The sides have movable wall panels for 'tuning'
the acoustic properties of the room. Theater seats have been selected for audience comfort and ease of
handling when the theater is rearranged.

View of two-storey lobby space.

A generous lobby consisting of four major areas- box office/ entrance, donors' lounge, main lobby with 2
story atrium and an upper mezzanine has been created. These areas not only provide for good audience
flow and comfort, but are also highly suited for receptions, meetings, and educational programming.
The spaces may be used for separate events simultaneously. The entire facility is linked throughout with
sound, video, and lighting controls.

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sound, video, and lighting controls.

View of side lobby, box office, and main entrance doors.

The backstage areas include dressing rooms to accommodate many types of performing groups, from
theater to dance to musical ensembles. There are technical staging areas, wardrobe, prop and lighting
storage, as well as production and management offices and a cast/crew lounge.

View of chorus dressing rooms.

Theatre Projects Consultants had wide ranging responsibilities for the new facility. The conceptual
design for the theatre was developed by Brian Hall. Athos Zaghi and Gavin Green were responsible for
performance space design development. Performance equipment was designed by the Theatre Projects
Consultants Technical Department. Benton Delinger was the project manager overseeing the project for
TPC.
The architect for the project was Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, LLP. Acoustics were by Steve Haas
and sound by Keith Book of Jaffe Holden Acoustics, Inc. The contractor was Joe Funk Construction
Engineers, Inc.

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HHPA partner in charge, Malcolm Holzman, attended the opening and spoke about the design of theater.
The facility is now the new home of the Plano Repertory Theatre company. Visit them on the Internet at
http://www.planorep.org.

Pasted from <http://www.theatreprojects.com/news/item/37>

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