LA Propoint Completes Encore Performance at Historic Alex Theatre

Company Called in to Troubleshoot Logistical and Safety Challenges

(Sun Valley, Calif.) February 2008 – Last summer, LA ProPoint, Southern California’s leader in the design, engineering, fabrication and installation of stage and show systems, successfully completed the installation of a new speaker rigging system in downtown Glendale’s historic Alex Theatre. Now, the company announces it has wrapped its encore performance at the Alex where it provided solutions to logistical and safety challenges.

When Jack Allaway, the Alex’s director of theatre operations, decided to add an orchestra shell wall to complement the building existing orchestra shell ceiling, the question arose of how best to protect and store the wall when not in use. The most obvious approach—installing motorized rigging to lift the shell into overhead storage—proved cost prohibitive given the weight of the wall. Allaway partnered with LA ProPoint to devise an alternate solution—a protective wall that would “fly” in and out in front of the shell as required.

First, Mark Riddlesperger, the founder and president of LA ProPoint, designed a steel-framed “scenic” wall suspended from a new pipe batten and motorized rigging. Then, once the shell wall was attached to the rear of the stage, the LA ProPoint team installed a J.R. Clancy counterweight assist hoist and a PowerAssist™ arbor system to raise and lower the 2,200-pound wall.

“It is a pleasure to work with the LA ProPoint team,” said Allaway. “Their long-ranging experience enables them to provide custom solutions that take into account the delicate nature of this historic building and the theatre’s budget.”

For LA ProPoint, encore commissions like the one at the Alex Theatre are not merely a sign of client satisfaction—they are also additional opportunities to provide valuable service. During LA ProPoint’s annual theatrical rigging inspection at the Alex Theatre, Harvey Sweet, Vice President of the company, noticed that a portion of the historic fire curtain was frayed, and the problem was resolved.

“Sometimes, our clients require our assistance one time only however our goal, where it is appropriate, is to build relationships with clients that lead to repeat commissions that prove mutually beneficial,” explained Riddlesperger. “It is an honor for us to be involved in the renovation and maintenance of the Alex Theatre, one of our local architectural gems.”

ABOUT LA PROPOINT
Since 2002, LA ProPoint has been a leading provider of design, engineering, fabrication and installation of stage and show systems for all aspects of the entertainment industry, from concert halls and theme parks to outdoor ampitheatres and movie sets. Strategically headquartered in Southern California in the city of Sun Valley, the company has a huge reach. Its highly skilled, experienced technicians, fabricators and craftspeople regularly take on far-flung projects from the Hollywood Bowl and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. For more information about LA ProPoint and its many projects, visit: www.lapropoint.com.

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