WMU Theatre | Facilities

Laura V. Shaw Theatre
M. BUTTERFLY		The Shaw Theatre has 550 seats with a flexible proscenium, traps, and a partial fly system. Shows are lit using a Strand, dimmer-per-circuit lighting system controlled by a Strand Mini Palette 90. Over 300 instruments are available for use in the space. The theatre has a 16-channel audio system, including reel-to-reel, cassette, and DAT tape decks and 4 independent amplifier channels. The system also includes wireless body mics and can be arranged in a variety of configurations making it versatile for amplifying singers and actors or producing recorded music or sound effects.

D. Terry Williams Theatre
DRACULA		This 70' x 70' black box theatre seats between 270 and 350 audience members, depending on which stage configuration is being used. The permanent balcony has 70 fixed seats; the main floor has 8 units of 25 seats each on telescoping platforms that can be stored under the balcony area when not in use. These seating platforms can be arranged in numerous configurations including thrust, proscenium, corner, stadium, and arena. A full fly house extends over the main floor with 55 line sets that are able to fly scenery, lighting, and soft goods. The floor is sprung to help prevent actors and dancers from injuring themselves. The first gallery ring, which holds the balcony, can be used for audience seating on all four sides. The second gallery ring contains the stage manager's control room as well as the control rooms for lighting and sound. The third gallery ring is the catwalk level.

Zack L. York Arena Theatre
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST		The Arena Theatre is a black box or experimental theatre that seats up to 115 in a flexible seating arrangement. The theatre is fully equipped with lighting and sound equipment. The Arena is frequently used for student-directed productions and the Footlights I and II series, as well as acting and directing classes. It is also the home of the York Arena Series consisting of two faculty or student directed productions each season.

Design Studio
		The Gilmore Theatre Complex Design Studio, located next to the Acting Studio, is primarily used for Theatre Design and Technology classes, as well as Dance Technology classes, and is available 40 hours a week for students to work outside of class times. The room is home to 24 student workstations comprised of a drafting table and a Macintosh dual core G5 computer, running the latest operating system and software. All computers are networked to a central theatre server and multiple printers and plotters. Available software includes VectorWorks, complete with Spotlight and Renderworks, Lightwright, Maxon Cinema 4D, Adobe Photoshop, Poser, the Macromedia Suite (Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks), Apple Motion and Soundtrack, Arkaos VJ, Final Cut Pro, GarageBand, Cacophony, Dance Forms, and the Microsoft Office Suite.

Acting Studio
		The acting studio was constructed with a sprung (dance) floor to help prevent injuries to actors taking movement and dance classes. A pipe grid in the ceiling, as well as instruments and dimmers, are used for teaching stage lighting.

Dalton Center

The Dalton Center is home to the College of Fine Arts, the School of Music, and the Department of Dance. The School of Music provides a number of rehearsal rooms open to students at their convenience. The Department of Dance also holds studios of various sizes for dance rehearsals and classes. Also in the Dalton Center is the Music and Dance Library, which holds numerous scores and scripts. The Multi-Media Room at the Dalton Center provides another performance facility for the College of Fine Arts.

Costume Shop
	The fully equipped costume shop includes both serger and industrial sewing machines. We build many of our own costumes, but also may rent or borrow costumes from other shops. The shop is staffed with a faculty designer, a shop supervisor, student assistants, and work-study students.

Scene Shop
	The scene shop builds all mainstage production scenery. It is equipped to construct sets out of such diverse materials as steel, wood, and styrofoam. The shop is staffed by a technical director, a scene shop foreman, student assistants and work-study students. Practicum credit is given for production work and volunteer help is always welcomed.

Makeup and Dressing Rooms
	There are makeup rooms in the basement level of both Shaw and the Multiform Theatre. These spaces are used for productions as well as makeup classes. Dressing rooms are also located there, and showers and lockers are available in Shaw.

Green Rooms
	Adjacent to the dressing rooms for the Multi-Form Theatre, this area has speakers wired to an intercom system so that actors can hear dialogue on stage as well as communication from the stage manager. The Shaw/Arena Green Room is a multi-purpose room that is used as a classroom, study area, lobby for Arena shows, warm-up and waiting area for Shaw productions, and meeting room.

Arts Management Offices
	The Arts Management Suite is located off the lower front lobby and contains a computerized ticket office for all three theatres, the office of the Director of Audience Services, and an adjacent office for arts management assistants and work-study students.

Theatre Library / Conference Room

Located off the lower front lobby, the shelves in the library/conference room hold several hundred books on theatre history, script analysis, and general theatre books as well as scripts and the Theatre's video library. These are available for students to check out. On display are various historical theatre models and masks. The room is primarily used as a meeting space and seminar classroom. Staff and production meetings are held here.