When the curtain rises on “The Lightning Thief,” directed by D. Granke, on Feb. 27, audiences inside Hauck Auditorium won’t just be watching demigods battle monsters, they’ll be witnessing the debut of a long-awaited transformation behind the scenes.
The University of Maine’s newly upgraded theatrical lighting system will take center stage alongside the cast, marking a new era for one of campus’s cornerstone venues.
“I can’t think of a better way to put this lighting system to the test,” said Philip Edelman, director of the UMaine School of Performing Arts (SPA).
Thanks to tremendous efforts from faculty, staff, administrators and generous donors, the 400-seat Hauck Auditorium now features a state-of-the-art lighting system, as well as a new projector and screen and other updates.
A partial failure of the system in 2020 lent the process some urgency, though conversations about an upgrade had already begun. Things accelerated with an additional system failure a few years later, leaving the capabilities of the venue drastically curtailed.
“Hauck Auditorium is at the heart of our campus,” said Edelman. “It also serves as the literal bridge between the School of Performing Arts and the Student Union. But because of our lighting limitations, it often had to stay closed to the public and the campus over the past six years. We were turning away community partners and university colleagues because the space wasn’t usable or safe enough for their events.
“By upgrading the Hauck Auditorium lighting system,” he continued, “we have reclaimed the space as a premier venue for the region; one we’re proud to invite people back into. We are finally open for business, and more importantly, open again to the community.”
Before
After
It was, again, a lengthy process, requiring a lot of help from a lot of places.
“Hauck Auditorium began to give warning signs that it needed serious help about six years ago, when a significant part of the lighting control system failed,” said Dean Emily Haddad of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “The College and others funded a thorough study of the Auditorium’s needs. The rest of the lighting control system kindly held on for another three years before failing completely in 2023.”
Of course, replacing such a specialized system isn’t as simple as buying some light bulbs, a few floor lamps and calling it a day. A project like this requires a significant commitment of time and resources.
“A theatrical lighting system is highly specialized and complicated–not something one can replace with parts from Home Depot or Lowe’s,” said Haddad. “All together, it costs about three-quarters of a million dollars, an amount of money that was not lying around in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office waiting to be spent.”
One of the trickier aspects of clarifying the importance of a system like this one is showing the audience just how big of a difference it can make. At first glance, one could argue that Hauck doesn’t look all that different. In many ways, that is by design.
“It might not look that different to you,” said MJ Sedlock, senior lecturer and technical director for SPA. “That’s on purpose. Theaters are designed to hide their magic.”
Hidden magic is still magic, however, as the next production from the School of Performing Arts will surely make clear.
The previous system used incandescent fixtures and lacked flexibility. All lights were amber bulbs, with color created through the use of colored gels in each instrument. These fixtures ranged from 500-1000 watts each, with somewhere between 150-200 fixtures per show, all of which needed to be moved and rehung with every production.
These lights were controlled by a series of dimmers that were installed back in 1989, from a manufacturer that was sold in 2006 and essentially stopped providing technical support or replacement parts from that point on.
Compare that with the LED fixtures of the new system. These lights offer full spectrum color mixing (no more gels) and require half as many fixtures as the old system, all while consuming far less energy (150 watts per fixture). These fixtures are far more flexible, offering easy changeability regarding position, pattern and texture, and the size and shape of the light beams.
The new control architecture is highly advanced as well, offering wireless data connection to each individual fixture. The lights can be commanded from the light board, of course, but also through an assortment of easy-to-use control boxes spread throughout the space or even via an app on an iPad. This particular type of intelligent control has only been available since 2021 — it did not exist when the Hauck lighting upgrade was first being discussed.
No matter what the event, whether it is a play or a dance showcase or a concert or a lecture, it cannot succeed if it cannot be seen. Thanks to these amazing lighting upgrades, that will no longer be a problem in Hauck Auditorium. From here on in, the only shadows you’ll see in that space are the ones that are meant to be seen.
Contact: Allen Adams, allen.adams@maine.edu
