Turn it Up!

The Dalles Civic Auditorium Upgrades Sound & Lighting

Story and photos by Rodger Nichols

Alex Marine, left, and Greg Eggan of Portland-based Hollywood Lights run final checks of the new lighting and sound systems they installed at The Dalles Civic Auditorium.

Thanks to state and local support, lighting and sound systems at The Dalles Civic Auditorium have undergone a major upgrade.

Funding came from a $50,000 state general fund grant and a $50,000 Google Data Center grant. Portland-based Hollywood Lights installed the equipment in November.

“We got contacted by the venue, and they invited us over to take a tour of this incredibly historic building,” says Greg Eggen, Hollywood Lights sales manager, lighting designer, and project manager. “They really didn’t have much as the way of infrastructure for lighting and audiovisual. We took in their needs and worked within their budget for this first phase to kind of get them off and running with the kind of backbone infrastructure for this first phase so that it’s in good shape for progressing and expanding in the future.”

Fellow designer Alex Marine explains some of the new items being installed.

A new screen shows some of the updated sound and lighting systems at the Civic Auditorium.

“We’ve updated everything in here to the current decade,” he says. “We’ve got a brand new 48-channel digital mixer. We’ve upgraded and installed over a dozen wireless microphones, which will really help out with the theatrical performances. We also updated the speaker system, or actually, put a speaker system in. It’s top-of-the-line Sound Labs, really great fantastic speakers. I’m really excited to get going here.”

Founded in 1948, the company has a long track record in the Northwest.

“About 1996, we opened a branch in Seattle,” Greg says. “We’ve got the whole Northwest territory covered as far as event lighting, temporary power, electrical services, rentals, and sales for the entertainment industry. Alex and I are the lead designers for permanent installations and upgrades. We do A/V and lighting integration for theaters, houses of worship, nightclubs—any place that needs audio-visual equipment.”

Jenny Jenkins is the Civic Auditorium Preservation Committee’s treasurer. She says the upgrade was part of a long-range program to restore and enhance the century-old local landmark.

“We paid for the sconce lighting in the body of the theater with the fundraiser that we had for the 100th birthday last year,” she says. “We’ve gotten an additional grant from the Full Moon Donor Trust, a donor-advised fund of Renaissance Charitable Foundation. We will use some of that, as well as some of the money from that original 100-year celebration, to put a projection system in as well.”

A 48-channel mixer was installed as part of the upgrades.

As a theater person herself, Jenny says she is excited about the new opportunity.

“We owe a lot of thanks to Skot Barker of Great Skot Productions, who lent us equipment for the past 5 productions of the Children’s Theater as well as the adult theater and the dinner theaters that we’ve done here,” she says. “Without him, that would’ve never happened. We didn’t have the equipment, and he loaned us his expertise on a regular basis as well. Now having it in-house, being able to have what we need at the moment we need it without having to ask somebody for it is incredible.”

The lighting company plans to train several people in the operation of the new equipment, which should bring future productions to the next level.

“There’s a lot of potential here, and we’re excited to see where it goes,” Alex says.

The capabilities were further enhanced by a recent internet access upgrade, courtesy of the Northern Wasco County PUD board. The building now supports multi-gigabit connectivity, ensuring fast and low-latency internet access throughout. The upgrade enables the Civic to host a wider range of events that require high-quality, high-speed internet.

The Civic is a local treasure, built in 1924 as a World War I monument. Instead of a statue in a park, local organizers decided the community would be better served by a multi-use community center. For the past century, it has been home to every sort of gathering, from banquets, bazaars, and brew fests to weddings, funerals, concerts, plays, exhibitions, dances, quinceañeras, theater performances, reunions, business conferences, and more.

A sophisticated control panel for the new lighting system shows a series of lighting effects.

The building has a rare attribute. The upstairs features a spring-loaded “floating” dance floor. Only 2 other such structures survive in Oregon: 1 at the Crystal Ballroom in downtown Portland and 1 at the old Elks Temple in The Dalles, now home to the National Neon Sign Museum.

Dennis Morgan, a founding board member of The Theatre Company of The Dalles, praises the latest developments.

“After nearly 40 years as a thespian—almost 30 of those years on the board of the Civic—we have passed a great milestone,” he says. “The new lighting and sound system are a further step into the 21st century and the realization of another part of our dream for the Civic Auditorium.”

Former mayor of The Dalles Steve Lawrence, who has been 1 of the great local cheerleaders for the Civic, sums it up succinctly.

“The Civic is now the premier theatre stage venue in the Columbia River Gorge,” he says.

The Dalles Civic Auditorium is at 323 East Fourth Street, The Dalles.