WEEKLY CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
In an effort to keep the public updated on the progress of completion of the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, a weekly summary of activities expected to occur in the weeks to come is presented.  As always, questions can be forwarded to either Executive Director Chuck Still at (860) 510-5000 or Town Hall Restoration Building Committee Chairman Roland Laine at (860) 395-3127.

As of February 5th
This construction update will show that a tremendous amount of work has been done in the last week and a half.  Finish features are being installed that are making the KHCAC look like a cultural arts center!  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, this week’s report will consist of mostly pictures:

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Door from Lobby

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Doors

These two photographs show the doorway openings that will connect the audience chamber, or house, to the new south addition lobby.  The photo at left is the view into the house from the new lobby while the photo at right shows the two door openings as seen from the balcony.  Although the opening in the third door (from right) will be used, the door at right will be the primary entrance.

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Rigging

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Pin Rail

These photographs show a truly unique feature of the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center.  For several reasons, the Building Committee made the decision to install a manual rigging system similar to what would have been used in the original 1911 theatre. Although not the modern automatic electric winch system that exists in many modern theatres and performing arts centers today, it’s one that works well and is consistent with the historically-designated building.  Such manual systems, although not that common anymore, do exist in some older historic facilities.  For students that will attend educational programs at “The Kate”, operation of a manual rigging system presents a unique educational opportunity that most would not get to experience.  If they pursue the arts as a career– as backstage personnel – they will have had the experience of working with such a unique and historic rigging system, giving them a “leg up” over those who have not.  Remember, the American theatre is a proud and longstanding institution where tradition and history is a core value.

In the photo at left, one can see a series of pullies hung from steel rafters that will allow steel pipes  connected to ropes to be raised above and lowered to the stage. Such pipes, or “battens”, will be where the theatrical lights, curtains and scenery will be hung.  The  ropes run down the far wall and are tied off on the numerous wood “pins”connected to the frame at right, which is bolted to the floor, much like the sail rigging system on the “tall ships” of yesteryear.

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Cat Walk

This photo shows the steel structure of the ceiling area that will house theatrical lighting which will light the stage.  These lights will be focused from a “cat walk” accessed from the attic above.  An opening in the technical booth located in the balcony will have a ladder allowing technical personnel to get up into the attic and access this lighting area if the need arises during a performance.

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Booth

This photo shows the technical booth in the balcony enclosed in sheetrock.  Work has yet to be done to raise the level of the floor in a way which will allow the space between balcony chair rows to be widened in order to provide for more leg room than existed in the original 1911 building.  People nowadays must be bigger than they were back in the early 1900’s both in width and in length as more seats existed in the balcony when constructed in 1911. Either that or we’re just more concerned about comfort in “The Kate”.

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Elevator

These photographs show two views of the Main Street entrance door to the new south addition lobby.  A second major door to this lobby will open onto the patio that flanks the Town Green (in left wall, right photo).  The large, custom-built window above the doorway, to be installed shortly, will display a grand chandelier.  The photo at right shows the doorway to Main Street as seen from the lower lobby with its elevator core in the right foreground.  The elevator installation continues and should be done in several weeks.

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Pin Rail from Back

If you were standing in the backstage workshop addition behind the stage area at “stage right”, you’d be able to look through the new opening cut through the original brick exterior wall that allows scenery and other large equipment to be brought from this area to the stage.  At right and just out of view is a second-story garage door that allows for the loading in of large equipment and materials from the outside of the building to stage level.  Through this opening, fitted with a roll-down door for use during performances, you can see the “pins” of the manual rigging system on the stage-right wall to which we referred above.  The black sacks at lower right are curtains and other materials that will be hung using the rigging system.  The brick walls seen in this photo are all part of the original 1911 structure.

Text and photos by Torrance Downes, Trustee and Building Committee Member

This entry was posted on Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 11:36 am and is filed under Construction Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.