Theater renovates "Old Gym"

For the cast of "Proof," the first week of classes was the last week of rehearsals.

As the last week of preparation for the stage came to a close, EMU's first theater production of the year, "Proof," opened Wednesday in the "new" Old Gym.

Planning began last spring for what started as the Old Gym and will end as a 161-seat theater space in which the EMU Theater Department can hold productions. Patrick Reynolds, Theater Professor, approached Technical Theater Professor Phil Grayson about directing shows in the Old Gym rather than in Lehman Auditorium. They began speaking, Reynolds said, about "ways in which the space could become less of a gym housing a theater and more of a theater resting inside a multipurpose building." Reynolds noted that they thought it feasible because "Comedy of Errors" had been staged in the space during the previous academic year.

As the spring went on, they began to look into whether the renovated space could be used not only to stage more than one play, but also to provide the university with an "intimate art space" until the proposed Fine Arts center is seen through. Reynolds said at that point, "the president and dean and physical plant director got involved and became very helpful with suggestions and vision" for finding funds for the renovations.

The building permit came June 20th, and labor began in early July. Reynolds did not say where the funds came from, but noted that expenditures were made with providing parts for a future facility in mind.

To begin, Reynolds said that they had to "de-gymify" the area by taking out bleachers and basketball elements. Once that was completed, construction began on the stage itself. The stage is called a thrust stage, which Reynolds described as one that "hooks out into the audience," therefore making the audience wrap partly around the stage. After the completion of the stage came a new light grid, which was first constructed and then wired and circuited.

After the main elements of the new space were in place, construction began simultaneously on the set of "Proof" and on the audience section. Volunteers worked on the set, while a combination of volunteers and hired students labored on the audience section. Reynolds said the volunteers included faculty, family of faculty, students, alumni, and pastors.

The final step was to paint the space. The space was completed Wednesday, September 7th, with "Proof" opening that night.

When all was said and done, the transformation from gym to theater had taken two to three months. Reynolds said it was difficult to give the exact amount of time spent on the renovation, as the workers and their hours varied.