Sightlines

Technical Updates to the State Theatre

Posted on 10/30/2018

State Theatre New Jersey recently began making equipment purchases that will allow us to replace our old sound, light, video, and other backstage systems with state-of-the art technology. These upgrades will positively impact both the patron and performer experience!

In April, 24 new moving lights and associated gear arrived, were unloaded, un-boxed, and enthusiastically installed. These new lights are immensely better than their 13-year-old predecessors in terms of power, control, and energy efficiency and serve as a literal indication of the bright future ahead of us (pun intended)! We were proud to debut their use at the thrilling Gala performance of Kool and The Gang on May 12.

In addition, our industrious crew finished installing two new follow-spots and our new Yamaha digital sound board in the main auditorium. Both our tech crew and touring crew visiting the theater have commented on the improvements in the sound system and stage lighting!

These upgrades have allowed us to do away with the rental of digital soundboards regularly requested by the artists by having our own up-to-date board in house. We were able to add seats where old, bulkier follow-spots had been located up in the balcony, and opened up space in the back of the orchestra for additional wheelchair access due to the smaller size of the new sound board.​

Looking forward we are currently working towards installing a Clear-Com Production communication system. From the critical hours of pre-show production to each second of the actual performance, our production team needs to execute each cue with precision. Having dependable and coordinated communications—from the dressing rooms to the production booth, sound console, wings of the stage, and beyond—is a critical success factor for shows of any size. 

We can't wait for you to see our new technical elements in action next time you're at the theater!