The One With Krannert

        Our last tour before Professor Hinders returns took place at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (not the Krannert Art Museum), which is a very very thought out collection of theaters and open space. We viewed from space, Krannert is a very low to ground building, except the three "towers" of the main auditoriums, that takes up nearly a full block. Our tour started in the vast 1.5 acre, also the size of 3 tennis courts, open lobby that is one of the largest around. The different intricacies of the lobby represent both Herman and Ellnora Krannert. The wooden floor was one of Ellnora's dreams. It is made solely from Teak wood from Thailand, and for the most part it is the original floor that was put in from the very start. The ceiling has a design that resembles Herman's best known work, corrugated cardboard.
        The main auditorium in Krannert is the Foellinger Great Hall, a large auditorium that seats over 2,000 people. Best known for its acoustics to provide the best sound for orchestras and large ensembles, the design of the room was very specifically designed. The main theme is symmetry as the room is perfectly symmetric. Such detail even went into every wood panel that the opposite panels were taken from the same tree to offer the same sound. A fake door was also put on the back wall to maintain this theme of symmetry, but the door handle was taken off after is was analyzed as a fire hazard. The hollow floor under the stage offers the best sound for the musicians, allowing them to hear themselves extremely well.
        Our next leg of the journey took us deep into the depths of the behind the scene levels of Krannert. As the lobby is actually the top floor, we went down to stage level, the second to lowest level, to see all of the work that goes into each production. We toured the costume shop and the scene shop, which gave us an understanding for exactly how much work goes into each and every individual play. We then walked onto an atrium of the stage of the Tyron Festival Theatre.
         After we climbed back out of the depths, we saw the stage from the audience's perspective. Two of the most interesting things to me out of the whole tour had to do with this Theatre The first has to do with the floor of the stage. To begin with, this stage has the capabilities to produce a trap door at any spot on stage. This allows for the director to set the scenery without the worry of working around the trap door, as they can set the trap door around their scenery. The front of the stage also allows for the floor to be raised to the full height of the stage or lowered to the floor. As a matter of fact, this extension can be set at any level in between. The other really cool aspect of this theatre is the fly space that reaches about 90 feet into the air directly above the stage. This area is full of catwalks and many other features that allow for different effects that enhance the overall production. As a whole, this tour greatly expanded my appreciation for the performing arts and the incredible center we have for them on campus.