Before renovations to the old Regent Theatre could commence, there was one thing Jim Clark wanted to do: Blow it up.

As the stage dynamite erupted, the building merely rang in a series of non-threatening blasts from the pyrotechnics, Clark said. But Regent Theatre may as well have gone up in flames. It was time to move on. Time for Syracuse’s new venue, Archbold Theatre, to take center stage.

‘They stripped the side of the old Regent movie theatre house down to the brick walls,’ said Clark, who served as Syracuse Stage’s managing director from 1976 to 1992 and as chair of the Syracuse University Department of Drama from 1992 to 2007. ‘Everything went out. And then we built back into it what you see now,’ he said.

In the 30 years since Syracuse Stage’s Archbold Theatre rose from the imaginary rubble, the theatre has grown from a local play venue to an opportunity with the SU Department of Drama. One could not exist without the other. And through these mutual benefits, Archbold Theatre created a rare relationship between a learning institution and professional theater.

Up close

‘Intimacy.’ That’s what Arthur Storch wanted. When Storch, the SU Department of Drama chair from 1974 to 1992, first walked into Regent Theatre on Irving Avenue, he knew the intimate theater feel would not translate with the theater’s 900 seats. And for a production night to even closely resemble a full house, 700 of those seats had to be filled, Clark said.

‘He immediately looked at that space and said, ‘This is just not useable space for a professional theater,” Clark said.

So Storch moved Syracuse Stage’s productions over to the 200-seat theater in the same building, which would later be dedicated in his name. Now this was intimacy. With only 200 seats, viewers were right in front of the stage. Demand for the seats skyrocketed, Clark said. The only way audiences could score a set was by purchasing a season-long subscription. Buying a single ticket was near impossible. While Syracuse Stage was in Storch Theatre, Clark said subscriptions reached as high as 10,000 per season.

‘It was probably the smartest decision (Storch) made coming here,’ Clark said.

But the success of Storch’s limited seating began to implode on the theater. To ensure every subscriber was guaranteed a seat, more performances were given per week. Plays would run up to six weeks long. Clark said there was not enough ticket income to pay for expenses every week. To ensure financial security, Syracuse Stage had to move to a larger venue.

Another Archbold

After a retreat between the theater’s Board of Trustees, it was decided that Syracuse Stage would move back to Regent Theatre. But there were conditions. The theater would have to be completely renovated and host fewer seats in order to work.

As one SU building by the name of Archbold rose among a cacophony of stage dynamite, another reached the end of its tenure. Archbold Stadium, which had been SU’s primary sports complex since 1907, was being demolished to make way for the Carrier Dome, which also opened in 1980. John Dana Archbold, who contributed $450,000 toward the theater’s renovation, was the grandson of John Dustin Archbold, who donated approximately $4 million to Archbold Stadium, according to university archives.

‘The family of the same name did not die away,’ Clark said. ‘It just moved down the hill.’

During construction, Clark said Storch would remind the architects to make sure the seats were set close enough to the actual stage. He wanted to blend the closeness of Storch Theatre with the large space of Regent Theatre. They found a balance with 499 seats: small enough for an intimate setting, but large enough to support a wide audience.

After eight months of renovation, Archbold Theatre opened on Nov. 14 with Shakespeare’s ‘Comedy of Errors,’ which Storch directed.

‘It’s a completely different experience from the Civic Center or the Landmark Theatre,’ Clark said. ‘You can see the faces of the actors, and you can hear their voices.

Friends with benefits

The Department of Drama and Syracuse Stage hold a symbiotic relationship. While the university owns Archbold Theatre and oversees its operations, Syracuse Stage fosters a learning environment for drama students. Many part-time professors and instructors are also members of Syracuse Stage, said Jeff Woodward, giving students firsthand experience in the theatre world, whether it be acting, managing or costume designing.

‘We are very much joined at the hip with the drama department,’ said Woodward, general manager of Syracuse Stage.

When Ralph Zito looks at this dynamic, all he sees are opportunities. When Zito became the chair of the drama department in August, he started looking for different ways to incorporate the professional staff into the department’s curriculum. To him, they are wonderful resources that provide a learning experience unlike any other in the country. He calls the mix between a conservatory-style professional theater company and major university as the ‘meta institution.’

‘We do Syracuse University drama and Syracuse Stage co-production at least once a year,’ Zito said, ‘which provides opportunities for our students to perform with professionals under professional direction on a professional stage.’

Then there’s Archbold Theatre. The drama department works almost exclusively in Storch Theatre, but Zito sees it as another resource for the growth between the Department of Drama and Syracuse Stage. In fact, for the first time in more than 20 years, the Department of Drama opened a performance in Archbold Theatre this year with ‘Cabaret,’ and Syracuse Stage held a production of ‘No Child’ in Storch Theatre.

Alanna Rodgers, who played Fraulein Schneider in ‘Cabaret,’ said there is a significant difference between acting on the Archbold stage and the Storch stage. She said while she will always love Storch, rehearsing in Archbold was an experience unlike any other. She said the opportunity to perform on Archbold really meant something, and it pushed her to it give her all.

‘It makes you feel like a real actor,’ said Rodgers, a senior acting major.

Zito said he is looking into the possibility of integrating the stages between the departments. He said he is evaluating how the spaces are used and blurring the distinct line between Archbold Theatre and Storch Theatre.

Archbold Theatre, he said, provides that intimate space that Storch set out for 30 years ago. He shares the same philosophy as his predecessor. The theater’s size allows for a wide range of theatrical possibilities. It can contain the quieter moments when need be. It can sustain the louder moments, as well. Whether this is the drama department’s production of ‘Cabaret’ or explosions of stage dynamite, Archbold Theatre is the tie that binds Syracuse Stage and the Department of Drama together.

Rodgers certainly knows that. Every night during the run of ‘Cabaret,’ Rodgers would walk out onto the edge of the center stage and sing before the entire audience. On any other stage, she said, the entire experience would not have been the same.

‘Just standing there and baring my soul was one of the coolest things I’ve ever felt,’ Rodgers said. ‘I will never forget that.’

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Published on November 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm