Much-needed improvements are made to stage in Dan Rodden

By Shannon Curley
Collegian Staff
February 7, 2007

A new stage was installed in the Dan Rodden Theatre while students were home over Winter Break. A construction crew from Sysko Scenic Inc. was here from Dec. 13-Jan. 15.

Since the theater is a frequently used space in the Union, there was concern from the administration about the safety of the stage.

In addition to the performances by the theater group the Masque, a variety of presentations are given in Dan Rodden. Late Night La Salle often holds events there, such as movie screenings on the weekends.

Aside from La Salle sponsored activities, other organizations and groups rent the space out to use it for events such as plays and dance performances.

The stage was in such bad condition that dance companies who rented the space would often bring a portable floor to go over the one in the theater to minimize the danger to the dancers.

According to David Sullivan, a junior communication major who has been involved with the Masque since his freshman year, there had been a discussion for years about the appropriation of funds to the stage in the Division of Student Affairs. The cost to completely replace the entire stage surface was $37,000.

   “We started with seed money from budgets that were approved a year ago,” said Jeffrey Hershberger, Director of Administrative Services.

However, the project wound up costing significantly more than had originally been anticipated. The additional funds needed to secure the new stage were taken from the budgets of the Dean of Students and Administrative Affairs, among others.

     “I know that it was greatly needed,” said Masque member and senior criminal justice and psychology major Heather DeWar. “The one we were using was really old.”

The back door of the stage was original to the theater. It was not watertight and had allowed leaks to cause water damage to the prop area.

The biggest problem with the old stage was that there was not a removable section for the pit band during musical productions. This meant that the entire pit band would have to climb under the stage and be given cues by a director as to when to begin playing a piece.

The front of the new stage can be taken apart in pieces to allow for a proper pit for the band during musicals. More importantly, the entire stage now has a smooth surface, which ensures that no performers will literally break a leg.

curleys1@lasalle.edu