A 20-year-old performing arts center in Gainesville, Texas has been transformed with a comprehensive theatrical lighting renovation from Vari-Lite, a Signify brand, unlocking new creative possibilities for students, faculty and the wider community at North Central Texas College.
The Performing Arts Center is a 360-seat proscenium theater housed inside a striking Monolithic Dome structure, which posed a unique architectural challenge that had long made lighting the space a complex undertaking. Since opening in 2005, the facility had relied on its original dimming, controls and lighting systems. As Calvin Russell, visual and performing arts facilities coordinator at North Central Texas College, puts it: "We quickly realized that we needed an upgrade, so we could unlock this building's true potential."
Rick Robinson, principal of Media Design Group, was brought in to assess the facility's long-term needs. The new system needed to serve theater productions, music performances, lectures, community events and student showcases, all while functioning as a working classroom. As Robinson notes, "the design had to balance creative flexibility with reliability, ease of operation and long-term maintainability."
Signify’s Vari-Lite team and Media Design Group worked with college stakeholders to develop the full design package, reusing the existing electrics and truss system by reconfiguring the wiring and adding a new DMX512 distribution network. The solution protected the college's investment while delivering a fully modernized result.
Infrastructure was central to the design. A Vari-Lite RigSwitch+ 48, Custom Control Rack and Vision.net Controls form the backbone of the system, with constant power controlled via a DMX relay system feeding both static and automated fixtures.
At the heart of the system sits the Vari-Lite Neo X5 Console.
"The Neo is user-friendly software and offers an easier experience for lighting designers," says Russell. "The Neo makes the use of moving lights so much simpler than other systems."
The fixture package balances reliable stage coverage with creative flexibility. VL600 Acclaim PLE and ZoomSpot fixtures provide front-of-house and stage coverage, while Acclaim Fresnels deliver soft, even washes across the performance space.
VL600 Acclaim Cyc fixtures illuminate the cyclorama, and VL800 EventProfile and EventWash fixtures expand the rig's ability to support concerts, dance and special events with saturated color and sharp beam control. RGBL LED technology gives the team dynamic color control at the touch of a button. The project was awarded to Associated Controls and Design (AC+D) of Dallas, Texas, who completed the installation on schedule and provided full training for theater personnel.
"This new lighting system has given us the ability to incorporate things that we haven't tried before," says Russell. "I am most pleased with the improvement of creativity that has been shown with productions and concerts."
For Robinson, the project delivers on every objective: "By combining robust infrastructure, flexible controls and adaptable fixtures, the design provides North Central Texas College with an impressive theatrical lighting system that supports all events and helps prepare students for modern performance environments."
