J.R. Clancy Installs PowerAssist Automation System atAmerican River College

When the Theatre Arts department at American River College began making plans for its new performance space, an up-to-date rigging system was one of the department's top priorities.

"The old theatre had no fly loft," said Kathy Burleson, department chair and technical director at American River, a two-year community college with 30,000 students. "We're a teaching institution, and for most of our students, this is their first experience with lighting or rigging. We wanted a system that would enable our training process so the students could learn lighting, and experience both manual and automated rigging in a very safe manner."

The new 360-seat proscenium theatre has a 20 x 40' proscenium and a rigging system with 42 line sets, Burleson said. "We have music events and lectures as well as full productions, so we have lots of fast changeovers," she explained. "Our old system was designed fifty years ago, and was not designed for the weight requirements of modern shows. This system enables us to change lighting quickly and safely.

Theatre consultant Adam Shalleck, of Shalleck Collaborative in San Francisco, selected a counterweight rigging system as the best fit within the department's budget. He also chose J. R. Clancy's PowerAssist automation system. The innovative system was developed by J. R. Clancy, the leading design, manufacturing and installation company for theatrical rigging equipment.

PowerAssist technology eliminates the need to rebalance counterweights on line sets. The system uses an innovative padded rope that fits into the existing head block, which works in combination with a roller chain and toothed sprocket. A motor and a fixed weight in the arbor let the PowerAssist lift any load up to the rated capacity without the need to adjust counterweight.

PowerAssist provides a fast, economical way to automate new or existing counterweight sets. Using a compact, fixed-speed hoist that fits under the locking rail, PowerAssist provides a simple control station with "dead man" up and down buttons. Operators press and hold the button to raise or lower scenery on the batten, and stop the movement by releasing the button. No motion takes place unless the operator is actively pressing the button.

J. R. Clancy provided four PowerAssist units as well as the counterweight rigging system to the new theatre at American River. "The system is so easy, and the students love it," said Burleson. "The PowerAssist units are just invisibly helpful -- we don't even think about them. They make changeovers and load-ins twice as fast and safe because someone doesn't have to go to the grid to change weight every time you add a light. And when we don't need to use the upstage electric, it's very easy to use it as a storage pipe, because we don't have to rebalance the weight."

The PowerAssist units had an additional benefit for the students and staff at American River, Burleson noted. "It's very quick and easy for us to move the 20' tall orchestra shell now," she said. "We used to have several people dealing with electrics, but now just one person can bring in the shell."

"Automation of lighting, sets and heavy, permanent set pieces is particularly important at the college level, where students may not have a working familiarity with the science behind counterweight rigging," said Tom Young, vice president of marketing for J. R. Clancy. "Taking the guesswork out of the rigging process can make a difference in time and efficiency for students, who often are working between classes to complete a changeover or hang a new show. Most important, however, is the students' safety. By eliminating the need to rebalance the weight on the electrics, American River has a safer performance space, where an out-of-balance electrical batten is far less likely to come crashing down on students onstage."

"Clancy was one of the best subcontractors on the entire project," said Burleson. "The whole system is great, and they did a fabulous job."