Published: August 28, 2008 11:45 pm      

ACTC theater under scrutiny

Stage must be repaired before any more productions

ASHLAND — Ashland Community and Technical College will review safety issues before moving ahead with its theater program, college President Greg Adkins said.

It also will have to repair its stage before any more productions, he said.

The theater program’s future had come into doubt following a mishap in July when a stage set collapsed, injuring several actors.

The collapse damaged the stage of the J.B. Sowards Theatre, which had just been renovated. No productions will be scheduled until the stage is repaired and refinished; bids for that probably will be taken next month, Adkins said.

The repairs will be paid for from the theater program’s $36,000 budget, Adkins said.

Among issues up for discussion is whether to regulate set design for future productions. The set that collapsed was a complex, multilevel piece. The incident was caused when several actors gathered for a cast photo on a staircase that was part of the set; their combined weight pulled the stairs down.

ACTC will have to consider height restrictions on future sets, Adkins said.

The theater program was to put on an October show but that now is doubtful. “I don’t see how it can be put on,” he said.

ACTC theater director Ed Figgins did not return calls asking for comment.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.