The Encore Musical Theatre Company is a non-profit musical theatre located in the historic Village of Dexter. Their mission is to create quality, original theatrical productions with an emphasis on Musical Theatre, utilizing a unique mixture of Broadway (Actors Equity) and Local talent of all levels while engaging and entertaining a wide spectrum of the surrounding communities.
I have been volunteering at the theatre for a number of years since my daughter began auditioning and performing there.
Slowly we have improved the sound system and other technical portions of the theatre, and as of December 2019 the following improvements or additions have been made:
- New main speakers (JBL Control 10’s), to complement the existing mains (EV Sx300)
- A new digital console (Behringer X32)
- A new wireless backstage communication system (Telex)
- New backstage speaker and paging system
- New equalizers, mains amplifier, and other signal processing
- Rerouting the audio snake to better serve the musicians pit
- Acquiring a better set of wireless mics (12 Channels of Shure SLX)
Even though we’ve made big strides there are still other improvements to be made:
- Cleaning up the wiring in the tech booth, as well as on and backstage
- Acquiring a better selection of wired mics and mic stands
- Developing a comprehensive set of documentation (system diagrams, operating guides, etc.)
- Developing a training program and certifying operators of the system
In addition to the above, we are also in the process of purchasing a new building and are beginning the planning of a whole new audio system to cover a flexible performance space with an audience that will vary from 90 to 300 people and an arrangement that could vary from black-box to thrust to a classic proscenium. We hope to be fully open and performing in the space by the spring of 2021.