Winona State University
Vivian Fusillo Theatre

The goal of the project was to replace the counterweight rigging system that had been installed in the 1970s. Challenges included adding motorized hoists to a rigging system that did not originally include them, while still leaving room for manual counterweight line sets. Raising new equipment to a grid with a low plaster ceiling also required a special set-up hoist. It was important to be mindful of the clearances between the fire curtain line shaft, the proscenium wall, and the first manual counterweight line set. The original building steel (head beams and grid well channels) were sizes that were no longer in production, so the loft block and head block clips needed to be carefully sized. The counterweight assist motors needed to be located and secured to the concrete below three layers of wood flooring. Lastly, there were existing obstructions on the stage walls and gridiron, such as fire suppression pipes and electrical junction boxes.