The Robert W. Marvel Theatre, one of three performance spaces in the 36-year old Rockefeller Arts Center at the State University of New York at Fredonia, is sporting a $300,000 makeover, timed to open with the "The Elephant Man," the first of five productions mounted this year by the Department of Theatre and Dance.
 
The capital project was managed by the SUNY Construction Fund, and involved carpeting the theatre and theatre lobby, improving aisle step lighting, recovering all the seats, adding lighting trusses and upgrading lobby lighting. The walls inside the theatre and the lobby ceiling also received a fresh paint job.
 
"The seats, especially, were just wearing out," said Rockefeller Arts Center Director Jefferson Westwood. "The interior of the theatre has never been completely renovated since the building was opened. For example, the seats that just were retired were the original seats. We started recovering seats with fabric to match the original in about 1995. We did several each year until the fabric finally ran out. The theatre had previously been painted and received new carpeting, but this had been limited to the aisles only. This new carpet goes all the way under the seats."
 
The renovations were timed to finish with this week's opening of "The Elephant Man," the first event in the Walter Gloor Mainstage Series. Dr. James Ivey, chairperson of the Department of Theatre and Dance, noted that the renovated theatre will help with ticket sales and in attracting students into the university's music, dance, and theatre programs. "The comfort of our patrons is necessary," he said. "Also, our long range plans for the degree programs depend on excellent facilites."
 
Designed by the renowned architectural firm I.M. Pei and Partners, Marvel Theatre was built in the late 1960s during a period of heavy construction on the SUNY Fredonia campus. Marvel Theatre had not been the beneficiary of a through overhaul since opening in 1969.
 
Over a half-dozen companies were recruited to participate in the different phases of the renovation. The old seats were removed from the theatre by Andy B Concrete LLC of Silver Creek, and the replacements, provided by American Seating of Grand Rapids, Mich., were installed by Spectrum Installations of Newaygo, Mich. The capacity of the venue will drop from 381 to roughly 369 in order to accommodate wider seats. The carpeting for Marvel Theatre was supplied by Pucci Carpet and Furniture of Fredonia and installed by the GP Land Corporation of Brockport in conjunction with Corporate Floors USA of Rochester. BECC Electric of Fredonia installed the new step lighting, the lighting trusses were mounted by Industrial Welding of Jamestown and another Jamestown company, Swan Painting, was contracted to paint the theatre walls and lobby ceiling.
 
The facelift of the facility will benefit a wide range of campus and community groups. Marvel Theatre is the major performance space for the SUNY Fredonia Department of Theatre and Dance and the home of the annual Hillman Opera. Three local dance studios also use the theatre for their annual recitals.
 
"I am glad that we were able to do this project this past summer and the early part of the fall semester," Mr. Westwood said, "and I am grateful to (SUNY Fredonia) Vice President (of Administration) Tracy Bennett for finding the money in our current five-year Construction Fund budget to make it happen."
 
To learn more about people and programs at SUNY Fredonia, visit the university online at www.fredonia.edu. To find out about upcoming events at Marvel Theatre and Rockefeller Arts Center, go to www.fredonia.edu/rac.