Select Theater stage reinforced last week

Posted 3/22/17

The project started bright and early Wednesday morning with workers with Rogers Construction removing the old Select Theater stage to replace the structure with a heavily-reinforced version capable …

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Select Theater stage reinforced last week

Posted

The project started bright and early Wednesday morning with workers with Rogers Construction removing the old Select Theater stage to replace the structure with a heavily-reinforced version capable of supporting, well, a horde of dancers.

That will be the case when it becomes the dance floor for this year’s Mineola High School prom. One of the hitches in moving the event back to Mineola was having a dance floor that had the capacity of supporting the students’ weight as they danced. The class has been raising funds and has received large individual donations.

The junior class has raised $7,130 specifically for the stage project from the community. Prior to the symphonic band performance, they had received $6,000 in designated funds to replace the stage and repair the marquee lights. During both performances, Carter Mize, a MHS junior, and member of the symphonic band, made a request during intermission asking for help raising the funds for the theater project.

“In a generous response to his request,” said Todd Witt, one of the adults helping with the effort, “$1,461.51 was donated… by multiple individuals in attendance.”

So Wednesday morning after the components of the old stage were extricated, 52 wood trusses were spaced two feet apart. Additionally, the center portion of the stage between each of the wings was extended two more feet. “Gives us a little more room for the band because right now, I’m on a platform off the stage,” Lake Country Playhouse Executive Director Mike Holbrook said. This will enable him to be back on the stage with the band he directs.

Holbrook noted that Woodshed Trusses had given project organizers a very good deal on the trusses. “There’s a lot of civic spirit behind this, to move the prom back here in Mineola. And we are very grateful to the class of 2018 for being able to pull this off and once they’re gone, we’ll still be able to do further proms in here and leave the stage behind,” he said, adding, “I’m fairly certain we’ll put a brass plaque up someplace for them.”

The stage was reconstructed by the time the crew left Wednesday and Holbrook was expecting it to be painted this week.

The class’ plans also included terraced platforms for seating over the existing rows of chairs on each side of the theater. “It’s going to be quite a show,” Holbrook said. “We’re looking forward to it. Will give them a safe place where they can cut a rug.”

“This is something that’s going to benefit the community. And it’s all because of the drive of these kids – the current juniors that will be seniors next year,” Holbrook said. He said it will be something of which they can be proud and “they can bring their kids back many years from now and tell them, we’re the ones responsible for that stage.”