TRYON – The Tryon Fine Arts Center has completed a two-week rigging renovation project for their Main Stage by upgrading all of the equipment above the stage. This is the first major upgrade on the Veh Family Stage in 21 years, according to TFAC’s board of directors’ president, Jeff Byrd.

Renovations began on August 15 and required replacing old pulleys and truss battens, which are used to move scenery and backdrops on the stage, TFAC’s primary performance venue. This project is expected to cost $87,000 and is in part funded by a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation, according to TFAC’s public relations and marketing director, Michelle Fleming.

“It’s great to see the system being updated with the latest equipment,” TFAC Technical Director Jimm Brink said. “We have to have our system inspected every few years to keep up with standards, and I’ll be comfortable knowing this system has recently been replaced the next time it is inspected. Barbizon is the top of the line in the industry and when we heard that and saw they are out of Charlotte we knew we had to get them to look at our system.”

Installed in 1968, the rigging system was last renovated in 1995. Barbizon Lighting Company enlisted the assistance of Imagine Design and Production Services, Inc. out of Greensboro, N.C. to complete the installation.

“The Tryon Fine Arts Center in the past five years has seen the community’s demands for activities and usage accelerate,” Byrd said. “There are 63 pulleys over the stage, 21 pulleys over the fly rails and 21 batten pipes. It has been 21 years since the last time TFAC updated and modernized its stage rigging systems, and there have been new standards implemented over that time.”

Brink and a team of volunteers needed to remove all equipment from the stage, including the grand drape concealing the stage and the Masonite floor before renovations began. According to Fleming, rigging systems have to be inspected and repaired on a regular basis, and TFAC is renovating the current system proactively to provide a safe and high-quality experience for patrons and technicians.

“’Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke’ is not the truism to follow when you’re looking into the future,” Executive Director Marianne Carruth said. “Investing in the infrastructure of the facility is essential.”

According to Chris Bartol, director of operations at TFAC, the renovations are a “proactive” step towards coming into compliance with accepted standards in the theater industry.

“We surmise that, although there are no set restrictions or codes in place in the industry, there are accepted practices we must follow,” Bartol explained. “The thing about this system is that it is a system. We have a mile and a half of cable in this theater now, and you can’t replace the cable without looking at the pulleys or the battens. A good consequence of the new system is that it allows us to use more complicated scenery and sets for shows.”

TFAC can hold 315 patrons, according to Byrd, and operated 103 days of the 2015-2016 year, including five Main Stage Series presentations, film screenings, fundraisers, educational events and rentals.

“Our little, 315-seat theater is a wonderfully capable and complicated facility, especially once you step backstage,” Byrd explained. “This TFAC rigging modernization project, while expensive, will ensure that TFAC remains ready to host the performances and cultural activities of our community for years to come.”