Boldrick Theater could receive makeover

Plans for improvements to the Bob Boldrick Theater in the Carson City Community Center are in the works.

"I'm sure it will be beautiful," said Stephanie Arrigotti, artistic director of Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company.

The theater company, led by Arrigotti, is based at Western Nevada Community College and was formed about 15 years ago, and has used the theater during most of its existence. This year alone, the group intends to perform "Grease" and "Brigadoon" at the city facility.

The Boldrick Theater can seat up to 800 people and is the only auditorium in town that can accommodate a large audience.

WNCC sometimes uses a campus lecture hall for shows that require minimal performance space and a minimal number of seats. "Forever Plaid," for example, will be in the college's Marlette Hall beginning March 24. Those interested in seeing the musical comedy are warned that seating is limited: Capacity in the lecture hall is 125, Arrigotti said.

As pleased as Arrigotti has been with the city's larger theater, she has always found its lighting system and orchestra pit difficult to work with, she said.

There aren't many dimmer lights there. These lights are used to create mood or to highlight a certain performer or section of the stage. A theater of its size usually has about 200 dimmer lights; Boldrick has only 20 of them.

The orchestra pit also causes problems because it sits in the line of sight between the audience and on-stage performers, who have to perform far back from people watching the shows. The pit cover must also be removed and replaced by hand.

It takes "six burly men" to remove the cover, Arrigotti said.

The city intends to begin replacing the dimmer lights and will drop the orchestra pit so the top will be at ground level. This will improve the line of sight, allow more of the stage to be used and make putting the cover on and removing it much easier. An automated cover mover would have been optimal but it was too expensive, said Mitchell Ames, supervisor of operations at the theater.

The Board of Supervisors will consider a design contract today for $66,000 that will help the Parks and Recreation Department decide how best to upgrade the theater, which was built in mid-1970s.

The time frame for completing improvements this year is short. Physical work needs to be done in July and August to accommodate the busy schedule that begins in September and only briefly lets up again in February, Ames said.

The seats and carpeting also will be replaced, and the walls will be painted. The seats and paint never have been updated. The only paint job was in 1994 - and that was to make the stage area black so it would be more visible to the audience, Ames said.

Total cost for this year's improvements will be $545,000, which includes the design cost. Most of the money comes from the quality-of-life sales tax fund.

The Parks and Recreation Department surveyed residents last year as part of its master plan to determine how to prioritize their money and energy. They found that improving the theater was a high priority for Carson City residents, who also indicated broad support overall for arts and cultural activities.

"A lot of folks realize what a value the arts are in Carson City," Ames said.

-- Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.