With the help of local donors, the Raven Performing Arts Theater has begun construction to upgrade older features of the theater.
The next time residents visit the theater they may not notice the renovations that have been made backstage but staff said it will change the lineup of future shows and be a more useful space for a wide variety of performers.
The theater floor will continue to seat 450 guests but the stage will expand from wall to wall adding stage wings to each side, level with the stage deck, that allow for performers to enter easily and for scenery set changes.
“We tore off one section and rebuilt it to be all one level and we took out some of the walls and old framing, so it is basically a tear out and remodel,” said Marcelus Jones, the acting foreman for Eddinger Enterprises.
Leveling the floor will also eliminate the narrow stairs leading to the stage and will add six feet of depth and allow for performers in need of a piano to move the instrument on and off stage without hefty labor costs.
“For the jazz festival or concert pianist it costs those organizations close to $400 to bring extra people just to put the piano up on the stage, so it is going to make it much more useable for all of our people,” said Raven Performing Arts Theater Executive Director Tom Brand.
The next phase the group is hoping to find funds for is to build a “great room” off of the back side of the theater that would be a home to visiting performers that need a place for costume changes, storing belongings and building sets.
“We have never really been able to have dance groups come in to this theater because the dancers, before they come on stage, they need to be able to prepare for their move to come on and on this stage they would have to walk up three steps and then come on stage,” said Artistic Director Joe Gellura, noting that the flexibility of staging and scenery options will also increase.
Over the past several years the Raven has expanded its programs including securing big name productions such as Cats, Chicago and this year, Evita.
“Of all the theaters of the North end of the county we have the stage that is most useful for big musicals, we have the height and now we will have the wings, and we have just been aggressively working the licensing companies in New York City putting in our applications and when we get a ‘no’ we immediately put in another application,” Gellura said.
The Raven Performing Arts Theater is seeking public donations to help fund future projects including a green room, remodeled auditorium and more restrooms.
The Raven Performing Arts Theater will be opening their doors again on the morning of January 21 for a viewing of Obama’s Inauguration on the big screen.
Performances will begin again on January 25 with the opening of ‘The Odd Couple.’
For a full schedule of performance dates and times, ticket sales or to donate, visit www.raventheater.org.
