By Mary Best
Managing Editor
A flood in Garrett Theater has postponed set work for SBU Theater’s upcoming production of “Knowing and Un-knowing.”
Phil Winger, associate vice president for facilities, said the maintenance department discovered the damage upon returning to campus last Wednesday after midterm break. The water damaged some AV equipment and warped the stage floor, and additional damages require repair.
“We are planning to replace the Masonite floor surface, with new material arriving next Monday and installed over the next week or so,” Winger said in an email. “It needs to be painted black first.”
Winger didn’t know the cost of the damages at press time or if the lower layers of the stage floor require maintenance. He won’t know until the Masonite top layer is removed.
“We are hopeful, but still not certain, that the plywood subfloor does not need to be replaced,” he said.
Ed. Simone, director of the theater program, said the damaged AV equipment does appear to be in working order, but the temporary delay in rehearsing in the theater proves to be a setback.
“We’ve had to move rehearsals to the Voice and Movement Lab and delay work calls for set construction,” Simone said in an email. “It’s been a compromise for both actors and technicians. The show is a senior capstone design project, so set-backs of this sort aren’t helpful.”
While the full list of damages is unknown, Simone appreciated the quick actions of the maintenance department and is thankful the rest of the theater is intact.
“The new chairs were spared and the structure of the stage wasn’t compromised, so it could have been worse,” Simone said. “We’re certainly grateful to everyone who’s helping to put the stage back in working order.”
bestmk10@bonaventure.edu
