Richmond CenterStage complex nearing completion

Much has changed since the Carpenter Theatre opened 81 years ago in downtown Richmond, but with each step under the new high-tech marquee into the theater's rotunda, it's like being transported back in time.

Despite the multitude of technological advances -- from fiber-optic lighting and air-conditioning vents along the floor in the theater to the state-of-the-art marquee -- the structure and feel of the theater are that of 1928 and even further back in time.

Visitors who walk through the rotunda, with its original multicolored tiled floor, are ushered into a theater that has the feel of a medieval Mediterranean castle. A courtyard-like auditorium adds to the fantasy of being entertained in a long-ago era.

At the Carpenter Theatre, being restored as part of the new Richmond CenterStage performing-arts center, crews went to "great lengths to bring it back to its original form . . . with all the amenities and comforts of the 21st century," said Jay Smith, spokesman for Richmond CenterStage.

Specialists went so far as to match the original paint schemes -- from the intricate, ornate features to the textured walls with multiple layers of different color paints -- in their efforts to preserve John Eberson's original theater design for what started out as the Loew's Richmond Theatre.

Through that painstaking process of restoring the structure, architect Bruce Herrmann of Wilson Butler Architects in Boston had access to original drawings and photos, including some from Richmond Times-Dispatch archives. He said to find the exact paint colors, it was treated like a mini archaeological dig -- scraping through layers of paint and plaster to find about 40 original colors to reapply to the walls.

With the help of EverGreene Architectural Arts, a New York-based company that specializes in historic preservation of architectural arts, studies were done on the walls' paint inside the Carpenter Theatre to put together a palette that represented the intent of the original painters and architect.

"Over the course of 80 years, the building had been painted a number of times. Some of these [original colors] were buried under new versions of paint," Herrmann said. "Some people are going to be surprised because it's not going to be exactly what they remember from 10 years ago or even their childhood."

The extensive effort paid off in what will be a dominant performing-arts presence that occupies a city block.

After eight years, the $73.5 million project on Grace Street between Sixth and Seventh streets is nearing completion. Estimates in 2007 put the project's cost at $65 million; the city is contributing $25 million to CenterStage through former Mayor L. Douglas Wilder's City of the Future program to reinvest in public facilities.

Private donors as well as state and federal governments are also funding the project, which was announced in early 2001 and scaled back at the insistence of Wilder in 2005.

"Our board is very pleased with the progress that is being made; now everything is taking shape inside the Carpenter Center," said James E. Ukrop, chairman of the board for the CenterStage Foundation. "It just looks better and better every day. From what I've seen and what others have seen, it's everything we hoped it would be. It's a performing-arts center that Richmond deserves."

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Smith said construction will be complete by CenterStage's grand opening at 8 p.m. Sept. 12, though workers last week were on scaffolds finishing projects along the theater's stage and red-tape-blocked areas in the lobby.

The opening performances will feature the nine resident performing groups -- African American Repertory Theatre, Elegba Folklore Society, Richmond Ballet, Richmond Jazz Society, Richmond Shakespeare, Richmond Symphony, School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community, Theatre IV/Barksdale and the Virginia Opera.

"It's the first time all nine are performing together," Smith said.

Walking into the theater's spacious auditorium gives patrons a feeling of being outside. Lights in the ceiling mimic stars in the sky; enhanced technology allows for changes in intensity, giving off a twinkling-star effect. A cloud projector adds to the ambience of sitting outside in a courtyard watching a performance.

Even the architecture along the walls adds to the appearance of being outdoors. Ivy roams among the arched balconies and balustrades along the theater's walls, as if facades of buildings in ancient Rome encircle the auditorium seating. Additional lighting behind the facade can be used to replicate the sunset when patrons first arrive.

"It's all part of that illusion of being in this place where you're in this environment that you've escaped from whatever is outside; in the theater world, it's called the temporary suspension of disbelief," Herrmann said. "We're trying extend as much as we can."

Major effort was put into making the viewing experience for patrons comfortable. The historic theater had about 2,000 seats when it closed in late 2004. Even though overall seating has decreased, a capacity of 1,800 remains. Space between rows has grown, and plush, wider seats with taller backs provide comfort.

While patrons are treated to a more comfortable experience, so are the performers. Dressing rooms were increased from 10 to 20 and can accommodate up to 200 performers. The stage is 45 feet deep, allowing for more than 100 types and depths of scenery, Smith said.

With opening day less than two months away, great care is being taken to protect the completed work. Tarps cover the seats in the theater, while strips of carpet, boards and wood protect the floor.

Former retail space that fronted Grace Street is part of the theater's lobby, not only to provide more space for concessions and the flow of traffic but also to be more inviting for the public.

"The goal is . . . the show begins at the sidewalk; we want people driving by to realize there is something going on at the Carpenter and raise their curiosity level," Herrmann said. "It's all part of the tease to draw you in and, hopefully, bring the life back to this corner."

Contact Jeremy Slayton at (804) 649-6861 or .