Theatre-goers attending Catawba College’s “An Evening of Magical Song” April 16-18 in Keppel Auditorium may not realize that the production’s set is the result of a large recycle/reuse materials project.
Steel shelving and work tables salvaged after the recent closing of local Carter Chair/Carter Furniture on Long Street were donated to the Theatre Arts Department, according to Professor Christopher Zink.
“At first, I was not sure how much we could use or even what we would use the material for, but as plans developed for a large collaboration between the Music Department and the Theatre Arts Department, a use for the materials became clear,” Zink explained.
“The set for the show includes a large set of curved chorale risers. The risers include five curved levels that range from a radius of six feet to a radius of sixteen feet. We are reusing the table tops as the riser covers and the metal framing as framing for the risers.”
Zink estimated that purchasing custom-made, curved, tiered chorale risers like those created thanks to the donation of materials from Carter Chair/Carter Furniture would have cost between $20,000 and $30,000. The reason the expense would have been so great is that the risers are built to hold between 65 and 70 moving performers.
“In the end, the College will have a new set of risers at a low cost and the students will have the opportunity to learn about repurposing materials. In these times of low budgets, finding creative ways to save is critical,” Zink said.