Park Theater getting improved lighting rig

The Park Theater seats are frequently filled with people eager to see what acts are in the spotlight.

This week, several of those seats were temporarily removed to ensure the spotlights continue to work in a safer, more efficient manner.

City workers removed several rows of Park seats on Monday to provide space for Tim Thomas and Declan Bartlett of ShowPro LLC from Lebanon, Tenn. who began work to install a new lighting rig high above the theater floor on Tuesday.

The new rig will be capable of being lowered, providing a safer and more efficient way of getting to it, something that is music to the ears of Park Theater Manager Joe Harvey.

"This improvement to the theater allows us to easily access our lighting rig for adjustments, maintenance and repair," Harvey said. "As of the moment, the only way we can access the lighting rig is with a cherry-picker-style lift that we don't own and don't have the space to store. This will lower the lighting rig to a standing working height within a matter of minutes. This allows us to be more creative with lighting, and it also keeps lighting issues from being a complete showstopper."