A place for everyone
A place for everyone
Merrill Auditorium
Portland, Maine
Production Office:
207-756-8433
or
TechOffice@portlandmaine.gov
Gregg Carville, Technical Director
Jeff Swanson, Assistant Technical Director
Alexander Endy, Assistant Technical Director
Stage Door
207-756-8157
Merrill Specifications Menu
General Information
Address & Directions
Loading Dock
Stage
Rigging
Power
Sound
Lights
Backstage
Wardrobe
FOH
General Information
Merrill Auditorium is a cross between a four-wall rental and a roadhouse
with gear. We have a beautiful space and limited equipment. Most shows that come
in bring their own gear, or hire a local company to provide it. With smaller
events we can provide the technical support and equipment, however it is
important to have discussions regarding the requirements as early as possible.
Labor
Any renter of Merrill is responsible for supplying the labor required to set up,
operate and strike any technical equipment. Merrill provides one (1) technical
staff to facilitate the use and operation of Merrill and the equipment within.
If more people are required they must be supplied by the renter.
Volunteer Labor
Volunteers are welcome at Merrill, but there are some tasks that they MAY NOT
do. Volunteers are prohibited from using any rigging equipment, whether it is
permanently installed (our fly rail) or temporarily installed (such as a motor).
They may not move either the shell or the pit. They may not use the Citys Genie
lift. They may not operate any special effects. They can travel our curtains,
but they cannot fly them. Volunteers are also not permitted on the gridiron, in
the attic or to climb the booms at anytime. If you are a volunteer at any time,
you STILL MAY NOT do any of these things, even if you are qualified. This is due
to the rules regarding workers comp insurance, which does not cover volunteers.
Safety
Merrill is a city owned and operated venue. We must comply with OSHA, and all
National, State and City regulations and codes. The technical staff is on hand
to help with observing these rules and regulations. It is not always convenient
or easy to accomplish this. All lessees and their staff are expected to help
keep Merrill a safe working environment.
Facility Access
The Rehearsal Hall door is used for backstage access. Anyone entering the
building shall check in at the Security desk upon arrival. You MAY receive a
pass for the day. Individuals with permanent laminates must have them
displayed while working in the building. Building staff will open the building
no later than the scheduled call time and no earlier than one-hour prior the
scheduled call time. Working personnel are asked not to arrive earlier than one
hour prior to call time. Any staff arriving earlier than 1 hour prior to call
time may be required to wait outside the building until staff are prepared to
open.
Facility Access for non-working
personnel
The City of Portland considers the stage of Merrill Auditorium to be a hazardous
location and considers it a construction site when a production is loading in or
loading out. Any persons not directly employed in the action of working onstage
at Merrill Auditorium, who are not in the employ of the current lessee or their
subcontractors, shall only gain access to the stage when accompanied by a
designated representative of the lessee or their subcontractors. At no time
shall they be unescorted.
Stage Door (For Fed Ex & UPS)
20 Myrtle Street
Portland, ME 04101
Loading Dock (For Freight)
260 Cumberland Avenue
Portland, ME 04101
From the South:
95 North to Exit 44 (295 North)
On 295 North proceed to Exit 7 (Franklin Arterial).
Turn RIGHT onto Franklin Arterial
Proceed on Franklin to Cumberland Avenue
Turn RIGHT onto Cumberland Avenue
Proceed 2 blocks to the corner of Myrtle and Cumberland.
From the North:
On 295 South proceed to Exit 7 (Franklin Arterial)..
Merge onto Franklin Arterial
Proceed on Franklin to Cumberland Avenue
Turn RIGHT onto Cumberland Avenue
Proceed 2 blocks to the corner of Myrtle and Cumberland.
Truck Directions
to the loading dock
Bus Directions to Myrtle
Street
Loading
Dock
The loading dock has space for one truck up to 53 at a time.
Loading Lift
The loading dock uses an equipment lift to transport items from dock height to
stage level. Access is then through the loading area onto USR.
The dimensions are as follows:
Lift platform: 7'-0" deep by 12'-0" wide
Height from ground: 3'-6"
Platform travel: 4'-10 ½" (from 3'-6" to 8'-4 ½")
Loading Doors
The exterior loading door is: 7'-6 ½" high by 9'-0" wide
The interior stage door is: 7'-11" high by 6'-7 Ό" wide
All other stage access is through a single door on USL.
Freight Elevator
There is a freight elevator from the interior of the loading dock to the street
level. This is 6-9 deep x 9-6 wide and 94 high. This allows access to the
Street Level dressing rooms, orchestra pit, rehearsal hall, green room and
street.
FOH Equipment
Large and/or heavy FOH gear will have to be pushed up the sidewalk outside of
Merrill and in through the main lobby. There is a small handicap accessible
elevator available from DSL to FOH.
Important Dimensions:
| General Playing Space | 54 x 34 | |
| Proscenium Width (Full open) | 64-2 | |
| Width Between FOH stairs | 53-9 | |
| CL to SR Fly Rail | 52-8 | |
| CL to SL Wall* | 35-6 | |
| Proscenium Height (Arch) | 466 @ CL | |
| Stage Height | 3-4 | |
| Grid Height | 70 | |
| Wing Height | 33 | |
| Plaster Line to: | ||
| US Wall | 34-4 | |
| Front Edge of Stage | 12 +/- | |
| Front of Orchestra Pit | 11-6 to 3-11 | |
| FOH Mix Position | 50 | |
| Back of Orchestra Level Seating | 86-0 | |
| Back of Grand Tier Level Seating (Control Booth) | 86-0 | |
| Back of Balcony Level Seating (Spot Booth) | 125-0 | |
| Orchestra Pit | 53 x 18-10 | |
| * Please look at Ground Plan to see the layout of SL wing space. | ||
Please see Basic Ground Plan
Materials
The stage of Merrill is composed of a sprung maple floor with a natural finish.
There is no permanent apron. Screwing or bolting into the floor is only
permitted in the wings and with approval of the facility management.
The stage house is constructed of steel and concrete with an acoustical coating. No scenery or other materials may be fastened to any part of the stage house.
The back wall of the stage forms the facade of the City's municipal organ. Please visit www.foko.org for additional information about the organ. No scenery or other materials may be fastened to any part of the facade.
Orchestra Pit/Apron
Merrill utilizes an orchestra pit filler system that can be configured in three
different ways. The filler system lives at Orchestra level for patron seating.
It can be raised to stage level, adding an additional 11'-6" of depth to center
stage and curving around to the edges, adding an additional 3'-11" at either
side. The filler can be lowered to orchestra pit level, 9'-6" below stage level.
When the filler is in the orchestra pit configuration, the total pit size is
18'-10" deep by 53'-0" wide.
These changes require advance notice to the box office to allow for the reduction in available tickets. The reconfiguration takes several hours and must be considered part of the load-in and load-out process for scheduling and labor purposes.
Orchestra Shell
Merrill is equipped with an adjustable orchestra shell. This unit consists of
three permanently hung ceilings and six portable towers. The ceilings hang in a
vertical position on line-sets 5a, 14a and 21a. The towers store in the SL wing
space. When the shell is stored, there is no wing space on SL.
Each ceiling has ten ETC Source4 Pars to provide stage lighting in orchestra
mode. These fixtures can only be used with the ceilings in their horizontal
position.
Use of the shell must be arraigned during the facility leasing process. This
unit can be configured in several ways to best serve the needs of the
performance. Please contact the facility for additional information or
recommendations. Additional costs may apply to the use of the shell. Please
contact the Sales and Marketing Coordinator for rates.
Rigging
Merrill has 26 single purchase counterweight line-sets operated from stage level
on stage right. The grid is accessible through mounted ladders on USR.
Height of Grid: 71'-0"
Length of Battens: 68'-0" (1 ½" schedule 40 steel)
High Trim of Battens: 67'-0" (* Please see Additional Trim Notes on the next
page)
Low Trim of Battens: 5'-0" average
Batten/Arbor capacity: 1,700 lb.
Weight in House: 11,960-lb. average (does not include weight used for house
curtains)
| Line-set | Distance from Plaster | House Configuration |
| 01 | 0' 6" | Valance, ruby, 21'-0" high by 68'-0" wide |
| 02 | 1' 2" | Tormentors, ruby, 34' high by 15'-0" wide each |
| 03 | 1' 10" | Act Curtain, ruby, 34'-0" high by 35'-0" wide each |
| 04 | 3' 2" | |
| 05 | 5' 2" | |
| 05a* | 6' 8" | Orchestra Shell Ceiling #1 |
| 06 | 9' 4" | Border, black, 12'-0" high by 68'-0" wide |
| 07 | 10' 2" | Legs, black, 34'-0" high by 15'-0" wide each |
| 08 | 10' 10" | |
| 09 | 11' 10" | |
| 10 | 12' 8" | |
| 11 | 14' 0" | |
| 12 | 14' 8" | Border, black, 12'-0" high by 68'-0" wide |
| 13 | 15' 4" | Legs, black, 34'-0" high by 15'-0" wide each |
| 14 | 16' 0" | |
| 14a* | 17' 0" | Orchestra Shell Ceiling #2 |
| 15 | 19' 4" | |
| 16 | 20' 6" | Mid-Stage Curtain, black, 34'-0" high by 35'-0" wide each |
| 17 | 21' 6" | |
| 18 | 22' 5" | |
| 19 | 23' 6" | Border, black, 12'-0" high by 68'-0" wide |
| 20 | 24' 0" | Legs, black, 34'-0" high by 15'-0" wide each |
| 21* | 25' 6" | |
| 21a* | 27' 2" | Orchestra Shell Ceiling #3 |
| 22 | 28' 10" | |
| 23 | 30' 2" | |
| 24 | 31' 2" | Up-Stage Curtain, black, 34'-0" high by 35'-0" wide each |
| 25 | 32' 2" | |
| 26 | 33' 0" | |
| *Additional Trim Notes Line-sets 5a and 14a, orchestra shell ceilings #1 and #2, have a high trim of 51'-0". Line-set 21a, orchestra shell ceiling #3, has a high trim of 42'-0". Line-set 21 has a high trim of 57'-0" |
||
Curtains
All full stage curtains, line-sets 3, 16, and 24, are hung on truss battens with
traveler tracks. These can travel or guillotine to open. All operation is from
stage right.
All house curtains are sewn with 50% fullness and are constructed of 21oz. or
25oz. velour.
In addition to the stage curtains listed, Merrill maintains the following:
white scrim 29'-0" high by 60'-0" wide
black scrim 29'-0" high by 60'-0" wide
white cyc 29'-0" high by 60'-0" wide
These three items are not included in the rental of the facility. Please contact the Sales and Marketing Coordinator for current rental charges.
Spot Rigging
Additional points may be accessed from the grid. Structural steel is located
approximately 10'-0" above the grid surface. The facility has several beam
clamps to facilitate this process or steel cable may be looped around the steel
beams. These beams are 30" high and span the full depth of the stage.
The existing lift lines are located in rigging bays immediately below each structural beam, 12'-0" on center, beginning 6'-0" from either side of the centerline. Rigging at all other points will require bridling through these bays.
There are 12 points FOH that exist to accommodate rigging. Please see the rigging plan for more details.
Power Distribution
Located at both USR and DSL:
1-200amp, 3-phase 5-wire company switch with two tie-in slots.
1-400 amp, 3-phase 5-wire company switch with two tie-in slots.
Multiple lower amperage disconnects (200amp, 100amp, 60amp, and 30amp).
The facility maintains an inventory of cam connectors for power connections, as
well as one set each of 200amp and 400amp reversed ground and neutral
connectors. Multiple 120v/20-amp outlets are located on both downstage walls as
well as the USR wall.
Control
Merrill has an ETC Express 125 lighting console located in the control booth on
the Grand Tier level. There is also an ETC Response OptoSplitter located DSL
that allows for the temporary installation of additional dimming equipment or
the substitution of a different control console.
Facility Fixtures and Circuiting
Merrill maintains five FOH positions. There are three ceiling coves and two box
booms. There are no on-stage fixtures or circuits. All dimmers are rated at
1.8k. Please see the FOH plot
for more information.
Additional Equipment
Merrill has a limited inventory of feeder cable, stage cable and lighting
accessories to complement rental and touring equipment as needed. We do not
maintain a color or pattern inventory.
Spotlights
Richard Wright maintains two (2) Strong Super Trouper spotlights at Merrill
Auditorium. Please contact him for rental information.
Richard Wright
(207) 781-3768
Merrill Auditorium has a small inventory of audio equipment for basic PA requirements. We are capable of supporting most lectures, graduations, and award ceremonies. Merrill is not equipped to handle any musical acts or other large presentations requiring substantial audio support.
System
Audio patching is located at DSL and provides signal to the control booth on the
Grand Tier level. This patch unit has both line and mic level sends and line
level returns. Additional patching is available on DSR to access the main stage
patch on DSL.
All house mixing and control equipment is located in the control booth and
includes the following:
Mackie CR1604-VLZ mixing console
One (1) dbx two channel 31 band EQ (Channel 1 feeds the balcony cluster and channel 2 feeds the orchestra fill)
One (1) Denon DN 720-R cassette deck
One (1) HHB CDR-850 CD recorder/player
One (1) Sony MDS-E11 minidisk recorder/player
Orchestra Seating Fill
Merrill provides additional sound coverage for the Orchestra Section by means of
portable speakers. These are controlled through the existing system and can also
be used as on-stage monitors. This configuration consists of the following:
Four (4) EV Sx200 speakers
One (1) QSC Mx1500 amplifier
Necessary cables and patching.
Intercom
Merrill has a two channel Clear-Com system with ports throughout the facility.
We maintain a supply of belt-backs, headsets, and cable and can support up to 12
people on comms. If you will need more than this, please talk to the production
office.
Merrill has two levels backstage. Street level and Stage level. The entrance, at street level, is one floor below the stage. Each level has two private dressing rooms and one chorus room. All dressing rooms have complete bathroom facilities. One private dressing room per level as well as each chorus room is handicapped accessible.
The lower level also includes the Guest Production Office, Green Room, Orchestra Pit, and Rehearsal Hall. The Rehearsal Hall at Merrill Auditorium is rented separately from the auditorium and includes use of the Musicians Lounge.
The stage level includes Merrill Administration, Wardrobe, loading, and on-stage
storage. Wardrobe is equipped with a washer, dryer, sink, steamer and ironing
supplies.
Phone lines can be made available in most of the backstage rooms.
The hallways of each level form a circle. Each side of the upper level accesses
the stage to either USR or USL. Each side of the lower level provides access to
either side of the orchestra pit.
For more information please look at these backstage diagrams.
Street Level
Stage Level
Insert Pictures:
Small Dressing Room
Small Dressing Room
Large Dressing Room
Green Room
We have a small wardrobe room located on the Stage Level. It contains a washer and dryer, iron & ironing board. We have 10 rolling wardrobe racks, some with two levels of bars. Dry cleaners are located within a ½ mile. There are also cleaners who will do pick up and delivery.
Front of House
Merrill has seating on three levels, the Orchestra, Grand Tier and Balcony.
Seating Capacity
1908 less removals for technical needs (orchestra pit or FOH mix position)
House Measurements
Merrill is configured in a semi-circular pattern.
The given measurements are from the stage plaster line and extend to the rear of
each seating area.
To the rear of the Orchestra: 86'-0"
To the rear of the Grand Tier: 86'-0"
To the rear of the Balcony: 125'-0"
The ceiling is 60'-0" from the Orchestra floor.
