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Show Permanent setting under construction for Utah Shakespearean Festival ; Construction is underway I for the first phase of the per- manent setting for the Utah ; Shakespearean Festival on the campus of Southern Utah l State College. The $54,000 structure will be completed in time for the tenth annual ' season of the summer event which begins on July 15 and runs through August 7, Tlays this year will be "Taming of ihc Shrew," "King Henry IV, Part I" and "The Tempest." "We are especially happy lhat the Cedar City firm of Blackburn and Cower is building our Shakespearean tiring house," Fred C. Adams, Festival producer said- "We know that the integrity and personal interest of theso local lo-cal people will enable them to complete this very important import-ant building project in time for our Festival productions." Architect for the new outdoor out-door theater is Max Anderson of the Utah State Building Board. He has worked closely with Festival producers and designers to achieve the authenticity for which the Utah Shakespearean Festival is noted. Mcrril Kunz, controller control-ler of physical plant operations opera-tions at SUSC, has coordinated coordinat-ed campus arrangements. Concrete foundation The foundation of the new building will be concrete with a sub ground level storage area. The stage platform will rise two and one half feet above the ground and will be faced with stone veneer to match the stone planters on adjacent buildings. The stage area will be 48 feet at its maximum width and 28 feet deep in the outer area. The back stage will be 21 feet deep, with some of the space used for play action and the rest for backstage activity. An upper stage will have much the same dimensions as the lower Mage with the exception ex-ception of three balconies projecting from the center and each -side of the upper level. The stage house itself will rise to a height of 32 feet from the ground level and wil be constructed of authentic authen-tic post and panel components. compon-ents. The .structure will be supported on four by four wood jvists at four foot cent-' ers with four by ten foot ply-1 wod panels faced with stone aggregate bonded to plywood with cpoxy resin to resemble the stucco infoils of old English En-glish half-timber construction. The stage itself wil be built of two by six tongue and groove cedar planking covered with waterproof indoor-outdoor r.irnet. Stage under corn A roof will cover nearly two-thirds of the stage anea and will achieve the traditional tradi-tional Elizabethan appearance as well as afford protection for the stage house. Two cupolas, designed in hexagonal hexagon-al shape to conform with the basic hexagonal shape cf the stage and superstructure, will I rij abovc the roof. These areiis will house the bell, I cannon and provide a place for the heralds to stand as they call the audience to seats with a trumpet fanfare. Affixed to each cupola will be a tall flagpole to accommodate accommo-date the traditional banners signifying the beginning of play performances. Mr. Anderson explained that the hexagonal shape of the set warf achieved ti provide better viewing for audiencecs, who will be seated in a wraparound wrap-around arrangement on three sides of the stage proscenium. The design is also more pleasingly plea-singly proportioned than the octagonal shape used in the Globe Theater of Shakespcar's day. The design idea was con-tributcd con-tributcd ry Dr. Donjlja Cook s I artistic designer for the Festival Fest-ival for the past six years. He is currently head of the drama department at Penn State University. 16th century achitecture In order to provide a outer stage the roof is made of eight foot trusses susended on heavy timber beams. These trusses are laced much the same as the Salt Lake Tabernacle Taber-nacle roof to correspond with the architecture of the 16th ! century. To be in keeping with the original thatched roof of Elizabethan folk architecture, cedar shake shingles on a 45 j degree pitch will be used. The south side of the build-; build-; ing, which is actually the j front, will feature two large I hand orved d.oon', to be used for access to the back stage area. Centered between the doors will be a theater sign anchored to the building with straps and chains. The second phase of the building plan will include a paved courtyard and seating gallery to accomodate approximately approx-imately 750 spwtators. Although the courtyard of Shakespeare's day was for standing patrons only, the modern version will feature the comfort of individual scat, ing for all comers, Mr. Anderson said. The galleries surround the courtyard with raised tiers for better sightlines. At the rear is a raised promenade for access and overflow crowds. A second level gallery provides covered seating for additional viewers and completes com-pletes the theater in the round concept. The trussed roof over the gallery Is designed design-ed to blend with the roof structure over the stagehouse. A $20,000 grant from Mr. and Mrs. Obert C. Tanner in memory of Mrs. Tanner's parents will provide a large portion of the funds for the phase of the project now under un-der construction. Mrs. Tanner's parents, early Parowan pioneers pio-neers Thomas and Luella R. Adams, were instrumental in the establishment of the arts in southern Utah. An additional grant of $10,-000 $10,-000 from Mrs. Saide Barnard, originally from Beaver, will be used in phase one. |