TOWN HALL STAGE

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1929, Page 3

TOWN HALL STAGE

AN EXPERT'S VIEWS

IMPROVEMENT SCHEME OUTLINED. Prior to his departure from Whaugarei, Mr Erie Edgeley, of the "Midnight' Frolics," was interviewed by an "Advocate" reporter relative to the stage facilities at the Town Hall. Mr Edgeley expressed himself as very pleased with the seating accommodation and lighting of the Town Hail. The lighting of the stage was ahead -of anything he had seen outside the big centres. The stage, however, was woefully deficient, though it should not cost a great deal to bring it into a workable state. The main difficulty, said Mr Edgeley, was the lowness of the stage roof and che absence of apparatus for hoisting and manipulating the various "cloths" used by companies as stage background. Mr Edgeley pointed out that the "cloths" used by the "Midnight Frolics" were 24 feet high and 36 feet wide, whereas the height from the floor of the stage to the cross beams was only 21 feet. This meant that scenery had to bo rolled up till it was of a length which allowed it to hang properly. This spoiled the effect, apart from impeding the changing of scenes. There was no "grid" such as is found above the stage of every up-to-date theatre, and the scene shifters were obliged to crawl along beams, at great personal danger, in order to tie battens and cloths in their places.

All this could he obviated if the walls of the. stage were carried' up say 25 feet and a proper grid and other equipment provided. Such aheight would allow a. company to hoist its ‘ ‘ cloths ’ ; clear above the stage opening, and everything could thus be made to work smoothly. The width of the stage was satisfactory, but it would be a great improvement if the' dressing rooms at the rear were brought into the stage, which would! thus bo made about 10 feet deeper. Smaller dressing rooms instead of -two long ones as at present, could be erected at the back,’ The theatre would them be very useful, and would attract companies who at present could not come to Whangaroi owing to the lack of stage facilities.