DESIGN GUIDE: MUSIC AND DRAMA CENTERS
DG 1110.3.120
CHAPTER 5: TWO DUAL FACILITIES
JANUARY 1981
5-14. TWO DUAL FACILITIES
On the house side the Capitol theater has been
restored and refinished, including 3500 new
seats that are wider and further apart back to
back. The seating capacity is the same, shifted
proportionately from orchestra to balconies for
While symphony halls and civic centers have no
better drama sightlines. The major change oc-
direct relationship to probable Army Music and
curred in the stagehouse, originally about 20 feet
Drama Centers in scale, the architectural solu-
deep, with a shallow pit for 20 to 30 musicians.
tions illustrate program conditions and design
To create a drama theater, the backwall was
tasks found over a broad range of endeavor. In
pushed out 15 feet, and four rows of seating were
these last examples, the programmers deter-
removed to make way for a 20 x 56 foot hy-
mined it was important to have two Rooms, large
draulic pit lift from the basement loading level:
and small, to meet the demands of respective
1900 SF. of wing space were added stage left.
communities. For both, the large Room is a
Other additions include dressing rooms, re-
multi-use proscenium-and-flyloft space allied
hearsal room, loading doors to the pit lift and
with a smaller open stage theater. The first ex-
backstage elevator, and 1900 S.F. of administra-
ample-the conversion of a complex of adjoin-
tive offices. Space could not be found for con-
ing buildings-highlights some of the needs ad-
struction shops and storage.
dressed by the second, all-new facility.
Madison Civic Center's downtown site con-
The 370 seat Thrust theater is located behind the
rear wall of the large house, where it shares a
sists of a 1920's movie palace, neighboring street
service alley tunnel at basement level. The small
front commercial shops (razed for new construc-
Room accommodates productions ranging from
tion) and a 1941 Montgomery Ward department
children's theater and puppet shows to modern
store. A multi-level lobby has been carved be-
intimate drama lending diversity to the Civic
tween the department store and the theater
Center's program offerings and audience profile.
where skewed structural girds meet. The Ward
store is now an Art Center; across the way are
the two theaters.
5-32
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