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Weiss interior - red theatre seatsPhoto courtesy of La Jolla Playhouse.

 

Mandell Weiss Theatre - Technical Information and Specifications

General Information

Capacity

492 seats in normal configuration, festival style seating, standing room at the back of the house. Additional seating (benches) may be obtained with orchestra pit at house level.

Handicapped Access

This theatre was constructed before handicap access laws were passed. However, if a patron with mobility problems, such as an individual with a wheelchair, is physically able to be transferred to auditorium seating, they may sit many places in the house. If such a transfer of that kind is not possible, they can also sit in an aisle that runs along the top of the house. Audio description for the visually impaired, headsets for hearing enhancement, and sign language interpretation are usually offered for one performance of each production.

House Policies

House opens one half hour before performance. The curtain for evening performances, excluding Sunday, is at 7:30 PM . The curtain for Matinees is at 2 PM. The curtain for Sunday performances is at 7 PM. The theatre is usually dark on Monday.

Green Room

Measures 12' x 12'. Located adjacent to dressing rooms, up four stair flights (two floors) from the stage floor. (An elevator is available) Equipped with a pay phone, coffee, hot water, vending machines and a chilled water dispenser.

Elevator

A passenger elevator (measuring 4'2" x 6'7" x 7'4" h) is located just backstage right and accesses the dressing rooms (third floor) and the lobby (indirectly, for handicapped access).

Stage Door

Located SR at stage level. No smoking is allowed outside this door, as UC San Diego is a smoke-free campus.

Dressing Rooms

The third floor has two chorus dressing rooms; one with a capacity for 12 persons, the other with a capacity for 10 persons with an adjacent private dressing room (and bathroom) for one or two persons. Each dressing room has sinks, make-up mirrors, showers and toilets.

Quick Change Rooms

Onstage quick change space is limited. There is a single unisex bathroom located just offstage right and a small hallway located upstage left. There are stairs down to the trap room SR and SL for crossover and quick change purposes.

Wardrobe Room

The costume shop located on the third floor is used as the wardrobe room for the Weiss. Large work tables, hanging space, steamer, sewing machines, irons, ironing boards, washing machines and a dryer are available with prior consent from the Costume Shop Manager. There is no dry cleaning on site.

Orchestra Pit

The orchestra pit can be accessed from the trap room when in the pit position. The orchestra pit has to be manually lowered and raised from pit (7' below stage) to house (3' below stage) to stage level. Advanced notice must be given if level change is desired.

Rehearsal Room

The Weiss Theatre does not have an attached rehearsal space. Accommodations may be made for rehearsal space nearby with advanced notice.

Control Room (Booth)

Located in the rear of the auditorium, up two floors from the stage. (An elevator is available) Audio monitor, infra-red video monitor available upon request. Two channel production communication system.

 

Technical Measurements

The information included in this outline is usable for general purposes and non-critical measurements. Separate technical drawings made from actual measurements of the space are available upon request.


CRITICAL MEASUREMENTS SHOULD BE CONFIRMED BY FIELD MEASUREMENT.


Loading Dock

The loading dock is 2' 9" high, 24' deep (at truck) and more than 50' wide. It is located down a short hill from the main access road (Weiss Lane). Only one truck can be unloaded at one time. Equipment and scenery may be loaded from the dock directly onto the stage. The loading door from the dock measures 17' 10 1/2" h x 13' 5 1/2" w and leads through the upstage right wall of the stage. There is also a loading door from the scene shop that measures 17' 11 3/4" h x 25' w and leads through the upstage wall of the stage.

Stage Dimensions

Width of Proscenium opening: 40' 0"
Height of Proscenium opening: 23' 10"
Height of Stage from House: 3' 0"
Width of stage area: 77' 10" (wall to wall)
Depth of stage area: 47' 6" from plaster line to US wall
2' 3" plaster line to stage edge (apron)
8' 0" orchestra pit depth @ CL
4' 2" stage edge to lineset #1
49' 0" stage edge to lineset #49
3' 0" stage edge to house curtain
CL to SL Wall: 39' 0"
CL to SR Wall: 38' 10" (additional scenery storage is available using loading dock)
Lockrail located SR @ 20' 11" from stage floor.
Stage Floor surface is 5/8 MDF over tongue and groove plus traps. Floor is rated at 150 lbs per sq ft. Sealed concrete offstage left and right.

Traps and Trap Room

24 Í 6' 0" wide x 4' 0" deep traps starting 9' 2" from stage edge. Because of the nature of the stage, use of the traps will require advanced notice.
Stage Floor to Trap Room Floor: 11' 0"
DSC Pit edge to US Trap Room wall: 49' 8"
Width of Trap Room: 38' 2"
Trap Room contains various columns and obstructions. Consult with Technical Director before specifying trap use.
Access to trap room via stairs located DSR and USL.

Rigging System

Number of Linesets: 49
Batten Length: 56' 0"
Max. Batten out trim: 58' 2"
Max Batten in trim 4' 0"
Capacity #1250
Double Purchase, 10' arbors, 7 lift lines, hemp operating lines.
Linesets # 4, #18, #37 are dedicated electric battens.
Pinrail for spotlines located on flyrail SR.
Battens extendable to 2' 10" both SR and SL
See Lineset Schedule for pipe spacing. (Attachments)

Stage to bottom of grid: 60' 0"
Stage to top of grid: 60' 9"
Stage to flyrail: 21' 0"
Stage to first loading rail 47' 5"
Stage to second loading rail: 53' 5"

Front of House is a tension grid. See Electric plot for pipe spacing. Consult with Technical Director for any rigging DS of Proscenium.

House curtain: Red Velour with center split. Manually operated single purchase from stage floor (SR)

 

Soft Goods Inventory

The information included in this outline is based on the latest available inventory. Specific goods should be confirmed with Technical Director.

  • 10 30' 0"h x 12' 6" Back Velour Legs, no fullness (5 pairs)
  • 2 40' 0"h x 12' 6" Black Velour Legs, no fullness (2 pairs)
  • 4 12' 6"h x 56' 0" Black Velour Borders, piped at bottom.
  • 2 30' 0"h x 26' 0" Black Velour Panels, 150% fullness
  • 1 30' 0"h x 76' 0" White Bounce Cyc
  • 1 28' 0"h x 56' 0" White Scrim
  • 1 28' 0"h x 56' 0" Black Scrim
  • 1 30' 0"h x 53' 6" Dark Grey Gerritts RP Screen
  • 1 27' 0"h x 46' 6" White RP Screen (in bad shape)

Contact Information 

Theatre Event Requst Form

For additonal information on technical specifications contact Laura Manning at lmanning@ucsd.edu