W.Va. Fire Marshal approves use of sound booth in Colonial Arts Center ahead of ‘Clue’ production

Monica Zalaznik
October 9, 2022

BUCKHANNON – The West Virginia State Fire Marshal approved the use of the sound booth at the Colonial Arts Center for their production, “Clue: on Stage,” which spanned Oct. 6-9.

Director of Public Works Jerry Arnold gave an update on the ongoing construction and renovation of the CAC during the Oct. 4 CAC board meeting.

A shot of the stage and set Friday evening, Oct. 7, prior to the performance of ‘Clue: on Stage,’ presented by the Buckhannon Community Theatre. / Photo by Katie Kuba

“I just had a phone call with the fire marshal’s office this afternoon and with the handrails, we’ll have completed tomorrow afternoon and getting the locks on the downstairs doors, we’ll be able to use that or have occupancy in that basement space,” Arnold said. “There will be no problem with the production ‘Clue,’ and I asked him about having a sound person in that upstairs space and he is okay with that. We’re not going to be fully compliant with the third floor, but he’s okay to go ahead and allow us to have one or two people in that sound booth during productions, so that’s a big deal in the progress with the theater.”

The contractor is hoping to focus on getting the stucco work done on the eastern wall, close to Dairy Queen, before winter arrives.

“Once the weather sets in, we will move back inside to finish up some of the interior stuff, but it’s coming along pretty well with the contractor we have in there now,” Arnold said.

In other Colonial Arts Center-related news, an anonymous donor gave the city a check for $7,741, the exact cost of the drapes for the CAC.

CAC board member Keith Buchanan updated board members on their fundraising efforts during their Oct. 4 CAC board meeting.

“What I can tell you is in the last 10 days, we received just under $10,000 in actual donations, so we got this check, which I would like to present tonight, and that check is in the amount of $1,000 that will be given to the city for the planning of the Arts Center on behalf of our board members,” Buchanan said.

The board is also currently still selling T-shirts, but an anonymous donor wanted to specifically provide the city with the funds to purchase drapery for the center.

“I just wanted to acknowledge that the board has decided to pull together and say, ‘Okay, let’s put $1,000 to show our support,’” Buchanan said. “We also received today, a check for $7,741 and I’m not going to publicize the name of the people who did it because they said that’s not as important, but that is the exact cost of the quote for drapes.”