Masque Sound Completes AW Installation at Lincoln Center's Newest Theater

When Yorke Construction was given the task of building Lincoln Center's newest theater, the Claire Tow Theater, it turned to Masque Sound, a theatrical sound reinforcement, installation, and design company specializing in theatrical, house of worship, sporting, corporate, TV broadcast, and live concert events, to install and provide training for the abundance of AV equipment specified for the project. The new 23,000-sq.-ft., two-story state-of-the-art facility is home to a 112-seat theater and dressing rooms, as well as rehearsal and office space for Lincoln Center Theater (LCT) staff with an outdoor terrace surrounded by a green roof. This new addition to the facility furthers LCT's programming initiatives, which are dedicated to producing the work of new artists and the development of new audiences.

"Having successfully worked with the project's general contractor, Yorke Construction, on the 52nd street project and with Lincoln Center on a regular basis, this was a natural fit for us," says Matthew Peskie, systems engineer, Masque Sound.

This new project will bring to fruition LCT's long-held desire for a third theater to present the work of the next generation of its playwrights, directors, and designers. As plans evolved for the campus-wide Lincoln Center Development Project, which is making Lincoln Center more open and accessible, this new addition became a reality as well. The Claire Tow Theater will play a vital role in this expansion, with the theater's productions adding a new dimension of creative activity, as well as bringing a new audience, to Lincoln Center.

Masque Sound worked closely with Yorke Construction as well as design firm JaffeHolden and Tri-State AV union electricians, for the project. "Masque Sound is grounded in the theater world-they get it," says Ben Bausher, senior consultant, audio and video systems group, JaffeHolden. "We have all worked together in some capacity, so for this project in particular it was like getting the band back together -- the right team for the right project."

From panel finishes to integrating equipment into the theater's structure, Masque Sound was very much a part of the planning process. Among the equipment provided, the team selected Meyer Sound loudspeakers and system control processors. Open-architecture DSP processors from Symetrix are used to control the facility paging system. "Meyer Sound is an industry standard when it comes to Broadway and theater, as their transparent speakers offer a very blank canvas," adds Peskie. "All Meyer speakers in the facility are portable, so when configurations change for new shows, they have that flexibility. In addition, the amount of AV panels and the connectivity that they offer allow for flexibility no matter the size or scale of the production."

Other gear the team provided includes a Soundcraft Vi1 Console, Clear-Com communications system, QSC amplifiers, Mackie 1202-VLZ3 professional compact mixer, cabling infrastructure and stage boxes, along with additional custom-AV solutions.

Each year the Claire Tow Theater will produce a season of new plays and musicals in its new home. It will serve not only as a nurturing arena for artists to hone their skills but will also provide a stepping stone for these artists who, it is hoped, will continue their professional lives at Lincoln Center's larger theatrical venues. All tickets to Claire Tow Theater productions are priced at an affordable $20.

"It is an honor to be able to work at such a cultural institution as Lincoln Center, helping to build a facility that will allow today's future artists to achieve greatness in the arts," continues Peskie. "The new theater sounds great and is absolutely stunning. The success of this project can truly be chalked up to the relationships and everyone's deep understanding and experience in theater-install systems."