Art 520 Theaters

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tom baker

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I am going to start volunteering at our local community theater building sets, and perhaps some building maintenance. I note from their volunteer application that electricians are needed.
I will start with reading Art 520, Theaters...Performance Areas.
Does anyone have recommendations on stagecraft, professional associations or websites that would be of use to me?
 
There a lot of books on basic stagecraft, but IME many/most of the techniques are completely foreign to community theater.

Take a look at
https://www.amazon.com/SCENE-DESIGN-STAGE-LIGHTING-6E/dp/0030287774/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
Scene design and stage lighting (aka "Parker & Smith")

https://www.amazon.com/Backstage-Ha...911747397/ref=pd_sbs_14_2/134-1463342-3468232
The Backstage Handbook
Local libraries might have them.

You can also try just googling "stagecraft" and see what pops up.


As for theatrical electrics..... some places are great, some are probably still using household dimmers in handy-boxes :ashamed1:.

https://www.controlbooth.com/ is also a fairly good site.

(I'm sure SceneryDriver will have things to add.)
 
Semi-related questions: do theater rules apply to a residential home theater in any way?

IMHO it's a stretch, unless it's a really big home theater.... Art 518 kicks in at 100 people. I suppose one could argue that 520 would cover a purpose-built room in a residence, but most HT's are just part of the family or living room and aren't used full-time for "presentation". And they generally use consumer, not professional, equipment.

Calling them Home Theaters really only came about when big-screen TVs became common and people started comparing them to "real" theaters. Which, of course, they aren't.
 

packersparky

Senior Member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
Inspector
Semi-related questions: do theater rules apply to a residential home theater in any way?

I say no.

520.1 Scope. This article covers all buildings or that part of a
building or structure, indoor or outdoor, designed or used for
presentation, dramatic, musical, motion picture projection, or
similar purposes and to specific audience seating areas within
motion picture or television studios.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Calling them Home Theaters really only came about when big-screen TVs became common and people started comparing them to "real" theaters. Which, of course, they aren't.
Mine does well, with a 10' diag. screen, 7.2 channels, and 2200w continuous audio power. Seating is a recliner chair, a reclining love seat, and a motorized dentist chair. 16 x 25 ft. room.


Yes, I'm bragging. ;)
 
Mine does well, with a 10' diag. screen, 7.2 channels, and 2200w continuous audio power. Seating is a recliner chair, a reclining love seat, and a motorized dentist chair. 16 x 25 ft. room.

Not bad for a screening room :D. I did know a couple of people that had maybe a 15' wide screen, but the projectors were a pair of Simplex E-7's (35mm) with 2kw(?) xenon lamps (a bit over power for that screen/throw). Only 5.1 sound, though.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Not bad for a screening room :D. I did know a couple of people that had maybe a 15' wide screen, but the projectors were a pair of Simplex E-7's (35mm) with 2kw(?) xenon lamps (a bit over power for that screen/throw). Only 5.1 sound, though.
My projector is an Electrohome Marquee 8502, an 8" CRT unit. Looks like this, but it's inverted and hanging on the ceiling.

+Marquee9500.jpg
 
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