Submitted
As Theatre Salina prepares to open its 64th season of production, THE LITTLE MERMAID will benefit from significant upgrades in sound and lighting.
The Little Mermaid is the theatre’s 364th main stage production and will open September 6, 2024.
Through a generous donation from the Jack Wilson Family Trust, the theatre has purchased a Yamaha DM7-EX sound board with greater capacity than ever before. Along with the new control board, the grant allowed the Theatre to acquire 16 new microphones with antenna, splitters, and wiring for each.
This August, the Theatre was able to purchase an additional eight microphones and equipment through donations made during its annual Dancing with Salina Stars fundraiser. Combined with previously owned equipment, the Theatre can “dress” up to 32 actors without sharing equipment.
Microphones are critical to enhance patron enjoyment and to provide a clear signal for listening assist systems at the theatre.A second and equally important advance is made possible through the generosity of the Earl Bane Foundation, the Dane Hansen Foundation, the Milton I. and Francis L. Stiefel Foundation, the Capital Federal Foundation, and two anonymous contributors.
These donations make it possible for Theatre to upgrade 90 of its traditionally sourced lights utilizing the ETC Source 4WRD, an LED (light emitting diode) retrofit, which will replace the 750-watt tungsten light sources currently being used. These retrofits will be installed during the run of THE LITTLE MERMAID, and will begin having a positive impact immediately.
The lighting upgrade will reduce the electrical consumption of each instrument by 30% and reduce the heat output of each light by 70%, therefore creating savings in HVAC costs, especially in the summer months. In the past five years, all new lighting equipment purchased has been LED sourced, so this upgrade follows that responsible trend towards reducing Theatre Salina’s carbon footprint.