Stillwell Theater Gets a Fresh Look By Kathie Beckett
T
he Department of Theatre and Performance Studies welcomed patrons back to in-person events this year at the Onyx Theater and the Stillwell Theater. It was exciting to see a live audience again, and perhaps even more so in the Stillwell Theater, as house renovations were completed in Spring 2021. For the first time, theatergoers had a chance to see the renovations in person. Chuck Meacham, chair of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, oversaw the renovation during his first year at KSU. Chuck recalls that “it was amazing to walk in on August 1, 2020, and Dean Pulinkala said to me that ‘we’re doing a gut renovation of the Stillwell over the holidays.’ It was a dream to me as a department chair! It’s wonderful to be in a theater that looks nice, and it’s a testament to the place that ArtsKSU has at Kennesaw State. The arts are valued here, and that value is shown by investing in our main performance space.” The renovations were primarily cosmetic, a face-lift of sorts for the popular theater, as the theater systems (lighting, rigging, sound, for
50
KS U Col le ge of t he A r t s
example) were very well maintained. “Since those things didn’t need to be renovated, as we’ve updated every few years, we could spend the majority of the funds on renovating the house, the audience’s space,” says Meacham. The renovation team pulled everything out: all the carpet and every seat in the theater. The seats were sent off-site for re-upholstery, and the interior work began. Holes in the ceiling plaster were patched and the cinder block walls of the theater were transformed. The drywall was redesigned to create purposeful breaks with a horizontal aluminum channel in between sections, creating horizontal lines that draw a patron’s focus to the stage. Meacham adds, “The aluminum lines point you to the stage and what you are supposed to pay attention to: what’s happening onstage!” The green and gold colors of the past were replaced with sophisticated silvers and grays with a touch of purple. New LED fixtures replaced the old house lights, and house managers also got an upgrade on controlling the fixtures. Meacham
