Crouse Performance Hall Gets Versatile With Chauvet Professional

As assistant technical director for the largest theatrical venue in his area, John Garner has gotten to know people associated with a wide variety of productions, from dramatic plays and musicals, to concerts by the local symphony orchestra and shows by national recording artists. There is one recent visitor, however, who especially stands out when he talks about his 1,729-seat proscenium theatre's lighting system.

"We had a national rock band visit, and their lighting director was all set to use the cyc lights in her floor package," recalls Garner. "We showed her the new Ovation B-2805FC fixtures we'd recently installed here. She not only put away the cycs in her floor package and used our Ovations for her show, she also told us she was going to buy the Ovations for her client."

For Garner and Erin Isaacson, technical director of Crouse Performance Hall, the visiting LD's decision provided sweet affirmation of their decision to add the Chauvet Professional RGBA- Lime batten fixtures to their rig.

"We purchased 13 Ovation B-2805FCs from BMI Supply," says Garner. "They replaced the cyc lights that had been in use since the hall was built in 1984. The old fixtures were not great performers. Additionally, the cabling control systems required for these fixtures limited their flexibility, especially in light of the more tech-heavy shows that were appearing at our facility with greater frequency.

The Crouse Performance Hall design team positioned six of the Ovation B-2805FC Batten fixtures on its 4th electric, almost 28 feet from the proscenium edge with a trim between 25 and 30 feet. These fixtures are used exclusively for cyc lighting.

"With a 25' to 30' trim, ensuring a smooth color wash over the cyc was of paramount importance," said Garner. "The Ovations provide this smooth color with very minimal hotspots or falloff. The ability to modify profiles, subdivide each unit, and create pixel map options are all contained the easy to adjust settings. This is a very big help given the diverse mix of shows here. Additionally, the light weight of each fixture makes hanging and striking much easier on the stage crews."

Garner notes that the compact size of the Ovation B-2805FC Batten fixtures was also important to his theatre, given some of its narrow battens, many of which have a clearance of 6" on-center. "The compact size of the fixtures means that they can be placed on any of our pipes as needed," he says. "Their size, plus their power and data pass-through capabilities make cable runs much simpler. This is especially valuable due to our venue's extremely limited Edison power resources."

The seven remaining Ovation B-2805FC Batten fixtures in the theatre's rig are used for various supplementing lighting functions depending on the show. "Due to their low power consumption, cool operation, and long service life, we have not hesitated to put these robust fixtures to use in unusual applications such as ground row or stage washing," says Garner. "When flipping from local dance, orchestra, or conferences to a national music touring act or Broadway show, we must be able to change our stage quickly. The broad appeal of the look provided by the Ovation 2805 satisfies nearly all of our client's demands, which simplifies stage work and programming."

According to Garner, the Ovation B-2805FC Batten fixtures have also been good for the overall image of Crouse Performance Hall. The fixtures are "easily the first thing that people notice and mention when they enter the theatre," he says, noting that they create a positive impression on everyone, whether they're an audience member or a visiting lighting designer.