Behind the Proscenium
An exploration of Hauck Auditorium
It's Like an Iceberg
Hauck is so much more than just a stage. It is a massive apparatus of interconnected systems, equipment and spaces. When you see a performance at Hauck you are experiencing only a very small portion of the space. It is akin to seeing the small tip of an iceberg out at sea and being totally unaware of the immense mass of ice below supporting that one small piece.
A production at Hauck is the culmination of many unseen forces, both people and equipment, that make it all possible. To a certain extent, every theatre-goer is aware of the many hours of effort that go in behind the scenes, they can see it in the lights and set pieces of the production, but what most don't get to see is the spaces where that magic happens. They don't get to cross the proscenium arch or experience these bizarre, amazing places.
This story is an exploration of those less appreciated spaces, from angles that most wouldn't get to experience. It is also a documentary of some of Hauck's unique quirks and personality from an inside perspective. Like most theatres, Hauck is unique, old, and does things its own way.
Pictured here: Hauck's catwalk as seen from the stage.
The Unseen Stage
Just the stage itself is a truly massive space. Being alone there, especially in near total darkness, is daunting. The quiet and the darkness are very present forces and the sheer scale of empty air is intimidating. Above the stage, empty space extends up over two stories to the roof. This space is cluttered with hanging curtains and light poles, and is flanked by two loft-style floors above the left and right backstage areas.
High, high above a fait stream of light can be seen through the smoke vents in the roof. The only sound, a birdcall echoing down and filling the darkness.
The Silence is a presence here
Scenic ground plans are one of the first step's of Hauck's transformation for a performance.
On each visit I made to the theatre, the environment had changed. Props, furniture, and scenic buildings appeared, moved by unseen hands. They come together quickly and the backdrop of a story appears on an empty stage.
This is another rolling Ghost light. This one is typically left in the center of the stage if sets aren't being actively worked on.
The Other Jack
There's a plastic skeleton named "Jack" that is often propped up on this pole. He is usually dressed up like a pirate with a bandanna and eyepatch but he also sometimes wears a tie dye t-shirt. Unfortunately, Jack wasn't available to pose for photographs.
Jack the skeleton is a fairly new addition to Hauck and comes from a play called A Pirates Life for She.
Believe it or not, though, Jack the Skeleton actually does serve an important purpose in the theatre. When lighting designers are testing out different lighting tracks and colors for a show, they wheel Jack out in his tie dyed shirt and position him at different places on the stage to get an idea of what places are lit and how colors look under certain lighting. This is just one of many examples throughout Hauck of objects or places that serve a surprising important purpose
Backstage Tour
Shadows from the Stage
Prop and furniture storage. 20-30 ft above the stage
This pole is for lights, beyond the ledge is a 15ft drop to the floor of the house.
Spike tape marks positions on the stage for set transitions and placement.
Thrust stages (platforms that extend into the audience) are a popular scenic device in Hauck.
Hauck has a very robust fly system pictured here supporting over stage pipes for rigging lights, curtains, or even scenery.
The stage seen from above captured from halfway up the metal spiral staircase connecting the stage to storage.
The first loft floor flanked by the pulleys and counterweights of the fly system.
Beyond the Stage
Trapdoors and liminal spaces are common in the branches and basement rooms of Hauck. The theatre is old and has endured renovations, updates, and changes of the university around it. Often, there are spaces where the old architecture meets new buildings or renovation, creating strange corners and winding hallways. In many of these bizarre corners, you'll find equipment essential to the theatre's function hidden away. Like, for instance, the dimmer rack for Hauck's stage lights. (Pictured above top right)
Directly below the stage is this trapdoor system. This rolling platform allows an actor to emerge anywhere on the stage.
Hauck auditorium is a space with many moving parts both on and off the stage and some in places that would never be expected. Hauck has a vastly different energy when it is quiet and empty and exploring it in a new way through this project has given me a new and greater appreciation for the space. Every theatre is different, but the next time y a performance take a moment to consider all the unseen things that went into the production you're seeing. Think of the people and places that you're not seeing but are needed to make the magic happen.
