October 15, 2008
The Central Union High School District Board of Trustees tonight approved the closing of the Southwest Theatre for repairs and renovations to the Stage Rigging System giving the go ahead to the project that will have an approximate completion date of April 6, 2009
The Stage Rigging system is a series of motors and pulleys that suspend battens over the stage area so sets, drops and curtains can be moved on and off the stage during a production. In March of 2005 the Southwest Theatre had to cancel an El Centro Education Foundation production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers after the hanging cables to one of the stage battens fouled and the situation became one of life safety of actors and audience members. At that time the District contracted the installing company - Stagecraft Industries to perform a thorough rigging system inspection and make repairs to keep the system safe while a new system could be designed for the space. Southwest Theatre Manager Ron Newhouse has been, since 2006, telling prospective customers of the facility wishing to rent the space for varied productions that the possibility of closing could happen with very little notice.
The new system should prove to be easier to work with and safer then the old system and it will give some of our battens the ability to move a little quicker than they have in the past, giving us the opportunity to expand the type of shows we are able to accommodate on stage.