The Alan Harvey Theater’s 40-year-old seats were renovated Jan. 18 through Jan. 22, the first of a series of renovations planned for the theater using donated funds.
After Measure H did not pass last June, PUSD set aside money to work on necessary improvements such as new seats, fixed air conditioning, improved stage safety, more storage and the possible renovation of the theater’s two bathrooms.
Donors, including residents and organizations like various parents clubs and the Piedmont Educational Foundation, raised approximately $560,000 for renovations, said Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Michael Brady.
“Even just walking in, you can tell that there are some issues with the building,” Brady said. “Some issues have to do with creature comforts, some have to do with accessibility for disabled folks and some have to do with fire and life safety issues.”
The first and only of these issues to have been dealt with is the seats, which were originally installed in 1975. The seat backs, frames, seat pans, handles and spring mechanisms that returned the seat to an upright position were largely still functional, so rather than replace all of the 500 seats for $130,000 to $160,000, the school opted to spend $68,000 on redoing the upholstery and stuffing, as well as removing the first and last rows, Brady said.
“Now, traversing across the theater is easier,” Brady said. “Since the first row was below the line of sight for the stage, there was a minimal net loss of seats, leaving a little more than 450.”
American Seating Company did the work in four days after first semester ended, Assistant Principal Eric Mapes said.
“I was impressed, as a former person who did construction growing up, because [American Seating] said [the renovations] should probably take five days and they were done in four,” Mapes said.
Plans to make the theater and stage more accessible compliant were made considering the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal law enacted in 1990. However, the theater will still not be up to code, even after the planned improvements. The stage is not wheelchair accessible, but there are possible plans to add additional wheelchair and companion seats, Brady said.
“We have seen school facilities closed when buildings aren’t ADA compliant,” Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Randall Booker said. “So there can be consequences.”
The next stages of renovation, which include fixing the stage and air conditioning, are planned to take place during February break.
The wooden stage is full of gaps and gouged by sets being nailed in for plays. It is going to be covered with an application similar to a cross between plasticine and paint, with a quarter inch of masonite on top of that for nails to go into, all for around $30,000, Brady said.
In terms of temperature regulation, instead of replacing the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units, which could cost $300,000 or $400,000, the ductwork, much of which is bent or compromised, will be repaired for about $104,000, Brady said.
“As we move forward we want to invest in things that we can reuse,” Brady said. “Otherwise, it might not be necessarily worth the money to invest in that.”
In addition to these changes, the modernization committee, which is advisory to the superintendent and the Board of Education, is thinking about updating the bathrooms, which are dimly lit, unusable for people in wheelchairs and inadequate for the full capacity of the theater, Brady said.
“We don’t spend the money just for the sake of spending it. We spend the money and invest in a quality experience for theater goers,” Brady said. “And if you can get it done for less, great.”
Despite concerns over some hanging speakers, Alan Harvey does not have any non-structural or structural hazards, although backstage has the potential for tripping hazards due to its cluttered state and not all of the theater is properly sprinklered in the event of a fire, Brady said.
