How Williamston Theatre removed unsightly support poles without collapsing roof
Correction: The capacity of the theater increased from 99 to 112 seats. An earlier version of the story incorrectly listed the capacity.
To regular Williamston Theatre patrons: Be prepared for a big change when you next visit the theater to see an upcoming production. In this case, SEE is operative word.
The quaint, late 19th century classic storefront in downtown Williamston looks the same, as does the theater's lobby. But walking through the auditorium door will reveal a space that somehow looks larger and more open. The capacity increased from 99 to 112 seats.
The intimate theater space has always been a favorite for audiences and actors alike – except for one thing. There were four large, unsightly columns holding up the roof that created huge viewing impediments for much of the audience.
That has changed.
The leadership team of Williamston Theatre – Tony Caselli, Emily Sutton-Smith, John Lepard and Chris Purchis – wanted to begin a theater company in the charming town east of Lansing and found an old furniture store that would work.
“We took possession of the building in 2005 and saw the problem of the poles from the very beginning, of course," Lepard said. "But our first goal was to establish a theater first and build an audience.”
Sutton-Smith explains that the early years were concerned with creating a base of donors and an organization that worked professionally. The theater opened its door for the 2006-07 season, and it was a success from day one. Strong productions, happy audiences, and excited actors.
Soon, Williamston Theatre – a professional equity house – was winning local and national awards. Improvements to the building were being made incrementally, but management hadn't tackle those pesky poles, yet.
Lepard, who is both an actor and director at Williamston, said, “The poles, which are right in front of the stage, were always challenging when directing a show. The traffic flow of the actors always had to be designed around those darn poles. We have a small audience, and those large poles blocked many people’s views of the stage. Seats on the side sections turned out to be better than those in front.”
As the theater became more successful and financially secure, it allowed the leadership team to plan for the poles’ removal.
After structural steel experts, engineers and construction experts examined the problem in 2018, it was decided the only way of removing the poles without the roof collapsing was to erect an exterior structure above the roof, with steel columns extending through the roof, the entire building and down to the basement where footings would be built to support them.
The plan was far more complicated and expensive than Sutton-Smith expected. The initial estimate was $80,000 per beam.
The price tag for entire project, which took four years, ended up costing $500,000.
The theater’s board, leadership team and donors discussed the pros and cons. Some people suggested building a new theater on the edge of town. That would have cost $2 million to $3 million.
Plus, the theater wanted to remain an intimate setting in the center of town.
“We have five restaurants within walking distance of the theater and free street parking," Sutton-Smith said. "Four of those restaurants opened since the theater was founded. We are making a difference in downtown Williamston.”
Brian Stiebe of from Laux Construction was the project manager for the endeavor.
“This job was a real journey,” he said. “We ended up doing the project in four installments, mostly during the summers when the theater was not in operation. Also, we had to wait for the theater to raise the money and apply for grants to pay for it.”
Over a third of the funding was covered by grant funding; the rest came from private funds.
Phase 1, Stiebe oversaw rebuilding the sound and light booth, making way for the interior changes.
Phase 2. Footings were built in the basement for the columns.
Phase 3. Partial steel columns were erected and poked through the roof to attach to the exterior shell made of custom manufactured galvanized steel. Huge cranes were used to help with the work, closing Putnam Street for a day.
Phase 4. Existing poles were removed. A horizontal beam inside and everything from the exterior frame above the roof were built. All of the column sections that begin below the frost line in the basement, through two stories of the building and extending six feet above the roof to the exterior structure were connected.
Stiebe said that it was stressful to work on the project in short time frames over a four-year period.
But Stiebe said, “The inside space looks totally different now. It’s open and seems larger. What a difference!”
“When I first walked into the finished product, I cried," Sutton Smith said. "It looked so big and beautiful. The designers are so happy that they don’t have to consider the poles when creating sets and lighting.
“People have been calling in for tickets to the upcoming show and are not believing that the poles will actually be gone. We made good on the promise that we made 17 years ago to get rid of those poles.”
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Williamston Theatre undergoes renovation to improve sight lines
