Acoustic design in small performance venues: “Unplugged” amplification, spatial presentation of dance, unamplified loudness control

Facilities for the 150-seat S.N. Shure Theatre and 400-seat MUNTU Dance Theatre and for a small family of 500-seat high school auditoria all employ techniques particular to the venue size. At Shure, an emphasis on an “unplugged” sound led to a room design that is intimate and controlled. Architectural features that would be cost prohibitive on a larger scale are implemented gracefully here. The MUNTU Dance Theatre is small enough to allow for the audience to be convincingly provided with directional realism. Area microphones on stage directly feed left, center, and right clusters to allow the acoustic sounds made by the dancers to be naturally “panned” to their actual location on stage, allowing for a seamless placement of the performer. Lastly, “one-room” design approaches for schools at Nazareth Academy, Marengo High School, and Benet Academy allowed for a basic theatrical function while at the same time linking the stage volume to the house. Absorption on the tops of the ceiling system and in the materials selected for basic finishes controls loudness for circumstances where ensembles are large when compared to the audience size. Variations in approach to these similar-sized venues are discussed.