BACKSTAGE UPGRADES

At the time of the Wortham Center’s grand opening in 2019, several upgrades and maintenance projects had yet to be completed due to continuous activity at the center. One silver lining in an otherwise troubling year, the pause of events from the pandemic lockdown allowed staff to focus on some of these projects.

Photo by 80 Grit Films

The theatrical stage rigging — often referred to as a fly system, made up of rope lines, pulleys, counterweights and related equipment — enables a stage crew to quickly, quietly and safely hoist curtains, lights, scenery, stage effects and, sometimes, even people. Thanks to a grant from the Cannon Foundation, the rigging system in Diana Wortham Theatre was refurbished with new ropes and locks to improve performance and safety.

Painting the walls outside of the Green Room

The Green Room is a private space backstage used by performers to warm up, eat, hold pre-show meetings and/or rest. After 20-plus years of wear and tear from thousands of artists, the Diana Wortham Theatre Green Room (now the John Ellis Green Room, named after our former director who retired in 2017) is being updated with new flooring, a fresh coat of paint, upgraded cabinets and a viewing system for the artists to watch the action on stage when they are not performing. Funding for this project was provided by John Cram / Blue Spiral 1 and Lowe’s.

Photo by 80 Grit Films

After a year in pandemic-mode, the opportunity to experience a performance virtually is here to stay. Diana Wortham Theatre is currently installing a three-camera system and switcher to increase opportunities for audiences and artists to connect virtually. This also greatly benefits the companies that use the Wortham Center, as staff can now offer use of a built-in professional recording system for events.

Photo by 80 Grit Films