The Prologue:

The exterior has been upgraded. There is a new arched entryway. The name has been given a more upscale twist changing from "Campus Theater" to "Mesquite Community Theatre", but the sad truth is that the seats are still scaled for children; the mechanicals are tired and noisy when they work, the sound system is archaic, and the stage floor creates its own sound effects.

But then, what can you realistically expect from a building that was built in 1958 and was the only school building serving all grades in Mesquite until 1991. That fall the new Virgin Valley High School opened. The new Middle School followed in 2002, and lastly the Elementary School was moved to their new building about six years ago.

The First Act:

All this is about to change, however, as the First Act begins on an all-inclusive facelift which is being made possible by a grant approved by the City Council on May 20th for an amount of $300,000 from the RDA Fund (or Redevelopment Area Fund).

An RDA fund is a special fund that the City controls which is created using Property Tax money to benefit a legally defined redevelopment area. The funds allocated to this RDA fund must be spent to benefit the defined area – in this case it is called the Downtown Redevelopment Area.

On June 24, the City will be entering into an MOU (Memo of Understanding) with the Greater Mesquite Arts Foundation who will act as the intermediary between the City (holder of the funds) and the vendors. Two Project Coordinators, Bob Nelson and Harlo Burkholz, share responsibility for bidding out and supervising each project. GMAF, in the person of Director Jim Wilson, will be responsible for coordinating invoicing so that money flows from the City fund to the vendors who have completed projects.

The planned renovations are ambitious and may very well not be fully covered by the $300,000 allocated at this time.

According to Bob Nelson there are at least ten areas that will be addressed as part of the planned upgrades.

Auditorium Acoustics:

Acoustic problems are being addressed at this time. The firm of JBA Consulting Engineers from Las Vegas has already been working taking audio measurements and creating a proposal for improvements. According to Nelson, the present acoustic panels will have to be replaced,

The auditorium ceiling is still the old school building white acoustic tile. The new ceiling will be painted black and will be a material appropriate for the room. It is expected that an interior decorator will help with coordinating the color scheme for the interior.

Auditorium Lighting:

Auditorium lighting will be changed from the fluorescent tube lighting that harshly illuminates the space now to a series of ceiling fixtures and wall sconces for a more sophisticated and intimate feel.

Auditorium Seating:

At present, the auditorium seating is old, narrow, and uncomfortable. It was designed for school children. The new seating will be configured with a center aisle instead of the present two side aisles. This will allow for wider, more comfortable seats.

HVAC System:

The heating and air conditioning system is the original installation using a chilled water and blower system for air conditioning, and reverse - heated water and blower system for heat. There are five units in the theatre that will be replaced. The air handling system will continue to use the water and blower configuration; however, the units will be mounted outside the building instead of in the auditorium for a quieter, more efficient operation.

Stage Flooring:

Right now the stage is a rectangle with badly scarred and pitted flooring. The proposed renovation would change the configuration to an oval shaped proscenium at the front instead of the rectangular extension that is presently there. The entire floor will be replaced which will make the stage flooring more solid and smooth.

Stage Curtains:

The plan calls for the main curtains and wing curtains on each side to be replaced, and for the addition of a mid-stage curtain. Walls of the stage are planned to be refaced and stage lighting will be improved.

Sound System:

A totally new sound system is planned including a new Director’s Booth that will be elevated and located across the back wall of the theatre.

Lobby:

It is projected that the refurbishing of the lobby area will open up the space to almost twice the size it is now. This will be possible due to the Mesquite Arts Council moving their offices from behind the lobby to their new location in Room 23. The renovation will include new carpeting, new draperies, and a new color scheme based on the recommendations of the interior designer.

Dressing Rooms/Green Room:

Plans are to improve the dressing rooms and the Green Room to make them more comfortable and more functional.

Obviously this is an ambitious undertaking. “We don’t make any promises on completion of all these items” says Nelson, “we’re not even sure if the $300,000 will be enough to go around for all of this.” The City Council is aware, though, he says, that the funds may not cover all of the planned improvements.

Up to now, improvements to original equipment and décor have been done through the combined efforts of the Mesquite Arts Council, the Virgin Valley Artists Association, The Mesquite-Toes Tap Team and the Virgin Valley Theatre Group through a combination of fund raising events, performances, and a lot of sweat equity. There have also been a number of private donations.

GMAF, the umbrella organization and coordinating force for the Arts in Mesquite, has a donation form on their website http://www.gmaf.net/ for anyone wishing to help in this massive renovation.

The next scheduled performance at the Mesquite Community Theatre is the Mesquite Kids On Stage production of "101 Dalmatians Kids" being performed on Wednesday, July 16 and Thursday, July 17 sponsored by the Mesquite Arts Council.

Wiggle your bottoms into those skinny seats and see what a wonderful force the Arts are here in this city. Show your support!