I started running movies at Proctor’s and picking up some stage work-calls in March of ‘89, and became a full-time employee in October of '93, so I had no opportunity to meet Gwaterman. But I have been a part of nearly every presentation in the past 13 years, as a projectionist, spot-light operator, stagehand and most recently, flyman.
I was fortunate enough to be “farmed-out” to work with PDO, the rigging company which installed the new fly-rail and automated fire curtain, so I got a real close-up perspective on our reconstruction, from the trap-room up to the 72-foot grid height, personally installing every loft-block, guide-bar and steel cable in the system. Then we brought in “Phantom of the Opera” for a month-long run, and what an undertaking THAT was.
I can safely say that we’re a WHOLE lot nicer place to work, and perform in, now. It’s bigger, cleaner, safer, much more modern and well-equipped. A fascinating and detailed article about the expansion is available at this link:
We continued to show sub-run movies this summer, such as “Thank You For Smoking”, “The Lake House”, and “X-Men III: The Last Stand”, with live organ music on Mondays and some Tuesday nights before the movie, and we also offer guided tours of the auditorium and backstage area (check our website <http://proctors.org> for details and schedule). The audience chamber remains largely unchanged in appearance, but technical upgrades have been emplaced to enhance the patron’s enjoyment.
Our stage season resumes in late September with an amazingly varied line-up of performances, so everyone should come see what’s new, what remains and what is yet to come!
The original 2700 seat venue remains “Proctor’s Theatre”. However, as our major expansion proceeds, we will be operating the “ ‘Purchase-Naming-Rights’ ” Theatre and the “Upstairs Stamford Theatre” theater, as well as a 500 seat Black-Box/Iwerks venue, which will be held under the umbrella name “Proctors”; our logo, if you will, or a brand name. (Although we appreciate any publicity generated, we would rather see attention paid to our current and prospective presentations, than to the placement of the punctuation.)
More important is the story of the incredible hard work and fore-sight of the volunteers who banded together to save this venue from the fate of the Erie and the State. The organization they founded preserved this gem from demolition and turned it into a going concern. Now we are in a new phase of making ready for the current generation of Broadway tours, which simply will not fit into our facility. In order to present authentic touring productions of the hits audiences want to see, we must grow and adapt.
Please visit our website to keep up with what is changing, and what will stay the same. It is especially helpful to check out the directions menu, because traffic patterns change frequently due to construction. But when all the fuss and dust has passed, Proctors will still stand for “great theater”.
I am a stagehand at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, and I always cringe when our name is the “butt” of such jokes as paulb made. However, we can only hope to co-opt the medium by spreading the message of our fundamental position: we are an entertainment outlet. As such, we hope you look us up, and find that which you seek within. And our scheduled expansion should make us even more of a good thing. Enjoy!
I started running movies at Proctor’s and picking up some stage work-calls in March of ‘89, and became a full-time employee in October of '93, so I had no opportunity to meet Gwaterman. But I have been a part of nearly every presentation in the past 13 years, as a projectionist, spot-light operator, stagehand and most recently, flyman.
I was fortunate enough to be “farmed-out” to work with PDO, the rigging company which installed the new fly-rail and automated fire curtain, so I got a real close-up perspective on our reconstruction, from the trap-room up to the 72-foot grid height, personally installing every loft-block, guide-bar and steel cable in the system. Then we brought in “Phantom of the Opera” for a month-long run, and what an undertaking THAT was.
I can safely say that we’re a WHOLE lot nicer place to work, and perform in, now. It’s bigger, cleaner, safer, much more modern and well-equipped. A fascinating and detailed article about the expansion is available at this link:
<http://livedesignonline.com/mag/proctors_gamble/>
We continued to show sub-run movies this summer, such as “Thank You For Smoking”, “The Lake House”, and “X-Men III: The Last Stand”, with live organ music on Mondays and some Tuesday nights before the movie, and we also offer guided tours of the auditorium and backstage area (check our website <http://proctors.org> for details and schedule). The audience chamber remains largely unchanged in appearance, but technical upgrades have been emplaced to enhance the patron’s enjoyment.
Our stage season resumes in late September with an amazingly varied line-up of performances, so everyone should come see what’s new, what remains and what is yet to come!
The original 2700 seat venue remains “Proctor’s Theatre”. However, as our major expansion proceeds, we will be operating the “ ‘Purchase-Naming-Rights’ ” Theatre and the “Upstairs Stamford Theatre” theater, as well as a 500 seat Black-Box/Iwerks venue, which will be held under the umbrella name “Proctors”; our logo, if you will, or a brand name. (Although we appreciate any publicity generated, we would rather see attention paid to our current and prospective presentations, than to the placement of the punctuation.)
More important is the story of the incredible hard work and fore-sight of the volunteers who banded together to save this venue from the fate of the Erie and the State. The organization they founded preserved this gem from demolition and turned it into a going concern. Now we are in a new phase of making ready for the current generation of Broadway tours, which simply will not fit into our facility. In order to present authentic touring productions of the hits audiences want to see, we must grow and adapt.
Please visit our website to keep up with what is changing, and what will stay the same. It is especially helpful to check out the directions menu, because traffic patterns change frequently due to construction. But when all the fuss and dust has passed, Proctors will still stand for “great theater”.
I am a stagehand at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, and I always cringe when our name is the “butt” of such jokes as paulb made. However, we can only hope to co-opt the medium by spreading the message of our fundamental position: we are an entertainment outlet. As such, we hope you look us up, and find that which you seek within. And our scheduled expansion should make us even more of a good thing. Enjoy!