J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts

The J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts (also the Collins Center or J. Everett Collins Center) is a 1,203[2] seat, publicly owned theatre in Andover, Massachusetts which functions as both a venue for municipal functions and a facility for private rentals.[4] Auditorium space is used for Andover's annual town meetings[5] and functions as an auditorium for Andover High School, connected to its southeast side.[6] The Collins Center houses offices, facilities and classrooms for the school's drama guild, vocal ensembles, orchestra and band. Paying homage to John Everett Collins, the theatre was named after the Andover musician and politician for his service to the community. Once managed by the Andover Endowment for the Arts, Inc.[3] (an independent non-profit organization), an operations director now acts as manager on behalf of the town for event scheduling.[2]

This article is about the J. Everett Collins Center in Andover, Massachusetts. For the Collins Center for the Arts at the UMaine Orono campus, see Collins Center for the Arts.
J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts
Collins Center
J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts
Location within Massachusetts Essex County
Address100 Shawsheen Road
Andover, Massachusetts 01810
LocationAndover, Massachusetts, U.S.
Coordinates42.657966°N 71.156028°W / 42.657966; -71.156028
OwnerThe Town of Andover[1]
OperatorScott Worthley[2]
TypeTheatre
Seating typeProscenium
Capacity1,203[2]
Construction
OpenedSeptember 25, 1983[3]
Construction cost$4.1 million[1]

Construction

Approval for the addition of an auditorium onto the existing high school campus was given in 1978 with town meeting warrant article 60 allocating $720,000[7] for such and other school improvement projects. By 1980, it was evident that additional funding was necessary for "constructing, originally equipping and furnishing an auditorium to the High School" and the town would allocate an additional $4,370,000 for the project that year[8] Construction was completed in 1983[3] and the theatre would hold its inaugural performance on September 25 of that year. By end of fiscal year 1983, $199.02 were unexpended from the 1978 allocation, as were $740,213.81 from the 1980 allocation,[9] making the project $740,412.83 under budget.

Technical Specifications[10]

Stage

The stage is constructed of black-painted Masonite, laid over 4 inch plywood and set upon concrete. Between the proscenium, the stage is 84 feet wide, 32 feet deep from the plaster line to the upstage wall, 25 feet tall from the stage floor to the top of the proscenium and is raised 42 inches from the house floor. The stage right wing extends 10 feet from the edge of the proscenium to the stage right wall. The stage left wing extends 5 feet from the edge of the proscenium to the fly rail. Both wings extend the full 32 feet depth of the stage. From the plaster line, the apron extends 6 feet downstage. This apron can be further extended using platforms in the orchestra pit.

Rigging

There are a total of 44 line sets, including the fire curtain (autonomously controlled with building fire alarm system) and 10 loaded and fixed pipes (5 electrics, 4 orchestra panels and 1 movie projection screen). The 43 executable line sets are T-track counterweight sets, operable from the stage left deck. Due to the location of a door on the stage left wall, 10 sets are raised on a fly gallery and therefore double-purchased. All arbors are 7 feet tall and can hold a maximum load of 1100 pounds.

A diagram of the Collins Center stage and orchestra pit.

Soft Goods

The house curtain and valance are blue velour; all other velour goods (1 mid-stage traveler, 2 black drops and 4 sets of legs) are black. Stage inventory also includes various mylar drops, an off-white 50 foot wide cyclorama and a 40 foot wide black scrim.

Electrical

Power can be tied in 15 feet off stage left to 400 amp 3 phase alternating current via single pole connectors. Additional 20 amp circuits are located on both stage left and right decks. There are a total of 83 dimmers capable of 2.4 Kw each that are controlled using the AMX protocol (or DMX via adapter). Each dimmer has its own 20 amp circuit, with tie-ins located throughout the theater.

Lighting

The Collins Center has 102 Source Four ellipsoidal fixtures of varying degrees, 60 PARs and PARNels, and 4 Altman cyclorama lights. Two additional 750 watt, 19 degree Source Fours are used for follow spots and are fixed on the front-of-house catwalk. These fixtures are conventional stage lighting, therefore manual focusing is necessary and color modification requires the use of gels. Stage lighting is controlled using the AMX protocol, however DMX may be used via an in-house converter.

Projection capability is possible either through front or rear projection onto a movie screen on batten 9, or onto the cyclorama using front projection.

Audio

The public address system consists of speakers located to the left, right and above the proscenium arch, controlled by a 32 channel audio mixing board between the left and right mezzanines in the house. A 16 send, 4 return snake extends from the mixing board to the orchestra pit.

Orchestral

A 61-foot-wide orchestra pit curves out 12 feet into the house from the downstage end of the stage. This curves down along a 100 foot radius to 6 feet, 9 inches at the left and right ends. The height of platforms in the pit can be adjusted to be either: a) 18 inches below the house floor, b) level with the house floor, or c) raised to act as an apron extension at stage height. On the stage, 9' 9" wide floor panels can be arranged to create a 19 foot tall orchestra shell. 4 additional flown sound panels complete an on-stage acoustic accommodation. The Collins Center also contains one 9-foot grand piano in its inventory.

Notable Performances
Date Artist Notes
25 September 1983 Boston Pops Symphony Orchestra[3] Inaugural Performance
16 February 1985 Dizzy Gillespie[11] ... with quartet.
18 May 1985 Judy Collins[12]
14 September 1985 John Davidson[13]
5 October 1985 New Black Eagle Jazz Band[14] Starring Carol Leigh
3 November 1985 Borodin Trio[14]
13 November 1985 David Copperfield[14]
23 November 1985 Joffrey II Company[14]
3 February 1986 National Tour of Brigadoon[14]
27 February 1986 Flying Karamazov Brothers[14]
6 April 1986 Connecticut Opera Company[14] Performing "Merry Widow"
10 April 1986 Arlo Guthrie[15]
1 May 1986 Itzhak Perlman[14]
9 May 1986 Ballet Hispanico[14]
7 September 1986 Rita Moreno[16]
26 October 1986 Jerry Vale[17]
5-7 December 1986 The Pittsburgh Ballet[18] Under the Direction of Patricia Wilde
April 1987 Joan Jett and the Blackhearts[19] Performing for Andover High School Students after winning WBCN radio contest
16 October 1987 Al Martino & Anna Maria Alberghetti[20] Accompanied by a 20-piece orchestra

Performing "A Romantic Evening of Love Songs"

6 October 1989 Chuck Mangione[21]
1 December 1998 U.S. Air Force Band[22]
15 December 1998 Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra[22] Part of Northeast U.S. Tour

References
  1. Mofford, Juliet Haines (2004). Andover, Massachusetts : historical selections from four centuries. Merrimack Valley Preservation Press. p. 199. ISBN 9780975899397.
  2. "J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts". www.collins-center.com. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  3. "J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts Dedication Day - 2019.086.1". andoverhistoryandculture.com. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  4. Worthley, Scott. "Collins Center Rental Agreement" (PDF). collins-center.com. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  5. "How to attend Town Meeting?". andoverma.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  6. "Andover High School". maps.google.com. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  7. "Annual Report of the Town of Andover for the year 1978". Annual report of the Town of Andover 1975-1978 (Report). Memorial Hall Library: Town of Andover, MA. 1978. pp. 128–129. Article 60.
  8. "Annual Report of the Town of Andover for the year 1980". Annual report of the Town of Andover 1979-1984 (Report). Memorial Hall Library: Town of Andover, MA. 1984. pp. 90–91. Article 65.
  9. "Annual Report of the Town of Andover for the year 1983". Annual report of the Town of Andover 1979-1984 (Report). Memorial Hall Library: Town of Andover, MA. 1984. p. 95.
  10. "Collins Center: Technical Specifications". www.collins-center.com. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  11. Santosuosso, Ernie (February 15, 1985). "ROSE BERMAN REMEMBERED: THIRD EDITION]". Boston Globe: 48 – via ProQuest.
  12. Santosuosso, Ernie (May 17, 1985). "INTERNATIONAL BALL LINES UP A WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT: THIRD EDITION]". Boston Globe: 54 – via ProQuest.
  13. McKelliget, Compiled by Susan. "All Those Years Ago". The Andover Townsman. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  14. McLaughlin, Jeff (September 20, 1985). "SUBURBAN THEATERS FIND AN EAGER AUDIENCE: THIRD EDITION]". Boston Globe: 65 – via ProQuest.
  15. McKelliget, Compiled by Susan. "All Those Years Ago". The Andover Townsman. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  16. Santosuosso, Ernie (September 8, 1986). "RITA MORENO SPANS ERAS: FOURTH EDITION]". Boston Globe: 26 – via ProQuest.
  17. Santosuoso, Ernie (24 October 1986). "WATER MUSIC EXPANDS TO NATICK: THIRD EDITION]". Boston Globe: 46 – via ProQuest.
  18. Temin, Christine (November 23, 1986). "OTHER NEW ENGLAND BALLETS PRESENTING 'THE NUTCRACKER': THIRD EDITION]". Boston Globe: B44. ProQuest 294391190.
  19. McKelliget, Compiled by Susan. "All Those Years Ago". The Andover Townsman. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  20. Santosuosso, Ernie (October 16, 1987). "NEA RECORDING GRANT FOR ORANGE THEN BLUE: THIRD EDITION]". Boston Globe: 96 – via ProQuest.
  21. Gonzalez, Fernando (October 6, 1989). "PIANIST MICHEL CAMILO'S TOUR OPENS IN BOSTON: THIRD EDITION]". Boston Globe: 58 – via ProQuest.
  22. Brown, Diana (November 22, 1998). "Bringing the World's Music to Andover Czech Orchestra's Concert Will Mark a Dream Realized: City Edition]". The Boston Globe: 19. ProQuest 405247877.
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