# The Site Eval



## Edrick (Sep 7, 2010)

Just did a site evaluation today for a theater I'm working to clean up. This theater is only 4 years old and lets just say it hasn't had the best care taken of it. I filled 4 boxes of junk from the control room (papers, bags, pens, drinks, food) that has been sitting there all summer. 

The front control rack was completely pulled apart none of the wireless system is operational right now, only two hard wired lines out of the 6 on the front of the stage work. 

40% of the house lights are burnt out.

50% of the stage worklights (florescence) are burnt out

Termination of the floor jacks in the auditorium was not completed

Inappropriate fuse used for egress lights on seats (piece of metal instead of a fuse)

Incomplete and exposed or broken / missing LED seat lighting

Missing casters for center and rear curtain pull line so instead it's draped over the rigging system.

Improperly balanced rigging system

XLR, Speaker, and Electrical cables laying on floor in twisted messes

Food, Drinks, and Student Chairs stored on off stage areas. 


This will be a fun one to cleanup.


----------



## mstaylor (Sep 7, 2010)

Wow! How in the world did they get a CO or final on their electrical inspection with stuff not terminated. Sounds like a fair amount of work to get it in shape and then some serious retraining of the people using the theatre, both adults and students. Good luck.


----------



## Edrick (Sep 7, 2010)

Basically what happened is they hired the lowest bidder for the electrical work. We had quite a few failures the first year where you'd go to change a wall sconse bulb and the light fixture would fall slicing through the electrical wire or the wirenut just falling off shorting out. A few wall outlets popped right out of the box in the wall and then they just ducktaped it back in. 

The LED seat lights were destroyed when the carpet installers screwed up and put the wrong carpet in the first time (thus it was after inspection) when they replaced the carpet. They yanked the carpeting up and pulled a lot of the lights off or the wires out of the box (as such when they fixed it they just left the boxes the way you see them). This shorted out the fuse for the transformer which god knows why is upstairs in a hallway behind the theater up in the ceiling. (It took a year to find it).


----------



## derekleffew (Sep 7, 2010)

Edrick said:


> Just did a site evaluation today ...


site survey

Edrick said:


> ...Missing casters for center and rear curtain pull line so instead it's draped over the rigging system.


carriers, floor blocks, or something else?

It does look like you have your work cut out for you. On the other hand, you'll cetainly leave it in better shape than you found it.


----------



## FMEng (Sep 7, 2010)

It sounds like there is plenty of blame to go around. For starters, the flooring contractor should have been required to have the seat lighting taken care of by an electrician, at their expense. This is why construction people should not mess with stuff beyond their specialty, and why unions get so touchy about it.

The other problems should have been caught by any number of people, including:
1. Building inspectors from the local jurisdiction.
2. The general contractor
3. The building owner
4. The architect and his/her design consultants
5. Independent construction review consultants
6. Safety inspectors, such as a fire marshall

It's very sad that none of these folks did their job as the building was built. On the bright side, it looks like work for Edrick.  

I was recently involved in the construction of a new building to house a radio station for a University. There were so many levels of oversight, peer review, and inspection that I doubt anything could have been overlooked. That's the way the owner wanted it, and they paid dearly for it. But, the result was a building with very few, and minor glitches that works as intended.


----------



## Edrick (Sep 8, 2010)

Floor Blocks would be the correct term. It escaped me at the time of posting. 

As for the blame game if there's one thing these people love it's the blame game. I sent an e-mail to the head person in charge of the district and I was told they were more than pleased with the condition and operations of the theater. Needless to say I knew otherwise and as such am now involved in bringing the theater back to its shine. The building had so many other issues it's crazy and as such they neglected the theater. Now it's gotten to the point where this is what it looks like. As you can see alone from the condition of the stage rack 80% of the sound system is now inoperable. 

I've been waiting for an excuse to buy my new Dymo Labeler guess I found it.


----------



## len (Sep 8, 2010)

I'd be embarrassed to install work like that, regardless of price. I wish you the best in getting it sorted.


----------



## photoatdv (Sep 8, 2010)

It's sad what can happen when the clueless run theatres. Haven't been back to my HS since I graduated, and it was pretty bad then, but I've heard from buddies who've worked (or attempted) that it's completely out of control now. 

Apparently the LD for a group that rented it had to evacuate and postpone a show over a rigging issue that the school had been ignoring for several weeks. And he wasn't overreacting... it was in danger of imminent failure! Then he proceeded to have to argue with the been counters over getting it fixed!

On a slightly less disastrous note, no one there really knows how to run the lighting console anymore either (or change lamps apparently).


----------



## Edrick (Sep 8, 2010)

The good thing about my role in this is as I'm not a teacher or a student I can argue between the different figure heads to get stuff done. Basically I have nothing to risk other than them not renewing any type of contract I had with them. Which in that case doesn't really matter as I have multiple clients.


----------



## mstaylor (Sep 8, 2010)

Years ago I offered a contract to the local school district to PM their theatres. They were in disrepair, not terrible but if you rented a theatre you had to either bring additional lighting or lamp the house instruments. There was one group that used the same theatre three times a year and they kept a lamp stock to lamp and unlamp house instruments. The guy in charge said his maintenance staff replaced all the bad lamps every summer district wide. He wasn't happy when I told that it was what they said they were doing but it certainly wasn't happening.


----------



## Edrick (Dec 16, 2010)

Well folks lets just say operation as usual. I've attempted to meet with the new principle multiple times however he has canceled multiple times with many excuses. The official answer I got from his secretary was "You should stop pushing the issue and give up on it, if you ask him in person he will probably say no. If he actually cared I'm sure he would of tried to meet with you instead of canceling repeatedly." 

To say the least she and him have handled the situation quite unprofessionally as such I have now sent quite a long e-mail to the Superintendent outlining my issue with the subject, the principle, and the treatment of me and the subject. The nice thing is since the school has no control over me (I'm not a teacher nor associated with them, simply trying to assist them to not let the space go into disrepair). I could care less about stepping on toes to get things done the right way. I have now forwarded these images to the Superintendent outlining the whole situation and how the principle basically gave me the big Eff Off we don't care about the space. Next in line assuming no actual action from the school district I will be scheduling a meeting with the Mayor of the city. 

Am I fighting a loosing battle? Most probably, however it's high time the performing arts stop being taken advantage of and our tax dollars stop being wasted on venues when the school doesn't want to properly staff them.


----------



## venuetech (Dec 16, 2010)

Any time you can identify a problem as a "safety" issue it should be duly noted in correspondence to the operations/maintenance supervisor. 
Any time you can get a rental group to discuss various issues before contracts are signed
(replacement lamps would be one item) 
Request that security screws be installed in the equipment racks
You must be very specific about your needs. If you say you need replacement lamps they are going to shrug their shoulders, If you give them the specific lamp information with a web page they might just get it to you.
Explain to the operations supervisor that if the cost effective florescent work-lights do not operate the stage lighting will be turned on whenever anyone is in the theatre, burning much more electricity, and needing costly lamps.
ask for a trash can on each side of the stage (make sure that the custodians add them to their duty list)
Some things you will just need to set an example. cables pick em up and coil them proper. get some tieline or velcro cable ties. 

Chairs: well a good chair rack would be the best answer, hopefully they stack

Out of balance line sets should be corrected when found. (am assuming you know how to)
photo document any weird or wackky rigging that the kids have hung over everyone heads


----------



## museav (Dec 16, 2010)

FMEng said:


> It sounds like there is plenty of blame to go around. For starters, the flooring contractor should have been required to have the seat lighting taken care of by an electrician, at their expense. This is why construction people should not mess with stuff beyond their specialty, and why unions get so touchy about it.
> 
> The other problems should have been caught by any number of people, including:
> 1. Building inspectors from the local jurisdiction.
> ...


Just to offer a different perspective, I have had projects where there was an extensive list of non-compliance items but the Owner accepted the work anyways. One has to remember that all Consultants and Architects can really do in terms of the construction or installation is identify deficiencies or discrepancies. They, for various legal reasons, have to expressly remove themselves from responsibility for the means and methods of construction. What such parties can do beyond simply noting any issues in writing is very limited if it does not involve a code violation or life safety issue.

In very simplistic terms, if something was designed wrong, blame the Architect and/or Consultants. If it was not built or installed as it should have been, then blame the Contractor. But if the Owner accepted something that was not designed or installed properly, then blame the Owner.

This is a sore subject to me as I hate having someone say "how did you let this happen" after I've done everything I can to prevent it, but in many cases there is not much that I as a Consultant can do. Unfortunately this is all too common with schools as the people approving the work and payment often have very little direct knowledge of theatre tech or even any direct involvement in the project. And many times Purchasing people seem more worried about the paperwork being completed properly than about the work being completed properly. That may be why you are encountering the reactions here, nobody wants to admit to being the one that accepted deficient work or allowed the problems to happen.


----------



## Edrick (Dec 16, 2010)

I outlined the safety issues and put someone of a worse case senario view in. For example all the pictures I attached a description. The exposed junction boxes I pointed out how a child could stick their fingers in it or accident hit it with their feet and the school is legally liable if they sue because it shocks the kid or arcs.

I pointed out they're required to have x amount of egress lighting for the LED seat lighting half of which was broken. In fact it took the squeaky wheel (my self) almost a whole year of nagging to get facilities to fix the BRAND NEW seat lights that never worked since they signed off in 06 when the building opened. The contractors put the wrong carpet in and had to tear it all out and damaged about 10 units and left bare wiring all over which shorted out blowing the fuse. You guys want to talk about tough? Try finding the little transformer that's 50 feet above the audience level in a back hallway above a drop ceiling. Their fix was a piece of copper to jump the fuse.

So even if the LED seat lighting shorts out now from Little Jimmy sticking his fingers where they don't belong it's not going to give. I also said well you may think it's safe because it's wire nutted but in fact the first year we were changing a lightbulb in a wall scones barely touched the unit and it came crashing off the wall and sliced through the hot leg. Took a chunk out of the metal box and tripped the breaker.


----------



## Edrick (Dec 16, 2010)

Oh I also pointed out the line set counter balance. Guess who the only two people who got training on it were by the company?

Me and the building manager who got laid off and he wasn't even paying attention to the training cause I was there.


----------



## visagegyc (Dec 16, 2010)

There may be a Risk Management department with the City or the District who could be helpful in addressing these issues. They can get pretty aggressive sometimes, so it may facilitate some rather extreme measures, though.


----------



## Edrick (Dec 16, 2010)

Well I did get a response from the superintendant this afternoon, the question is how far do I want to go after it. Lets just say I could of worded my initial email to him yesterday a wee bit better. However what I said had to be said but basically from the response I got from him he still believes every things running in tiptop shape. So basically they can enjoy their sinking ship and if I ever hear of them requesting money to fix the space or how the space isn't working anymore I've got my emails warning them in advance tucked away. 

Granted I'm looking at this from "tunnel" vision, however it's been going on for four years now. Three of which I never pipped up and challenged their authority. Quite frankly it's a non issue if they want my help or not. As all have said going back to your High School is basically counterproductive to your career. Let this be a prime example of why, they're set in their ways. I can do far more far better things on my own and help for a cause that actually wants it. What annoys me is they wasted federal grants, private grants, art grants, tax payers money and you can see what we got.


----------

