Russ and Angelica Berrie Center - Ramapo College - Mahwah, New Jersey

Ramapo College runs a flourishing arts program that draws on New York metropolitan area working professionals for its teaching talent. Top theater professionals teach all the performing arts disciplines in a new center donated by Russ and Angelica Berrie.

Facilities include:

• A 280 seat proscenium theater with a full proscenium stage and complete stage equipment.
• A 100 seat studio theater with full catwalks, control room, and backstage support facilities.
• Dance rehearsal/recital studio.
• Dressing rooms.
• Wardrobe room.
• Scene shop.

Stage worklighting includes a complete set of white lights everywhere on stage and a second set of dim running lights, called "blue lights", everywhere on stage. Blue lights are not necessarily blue, but are dim and are concealed from the audience. Blue lights permit staff to work safely, conveniently, and invisibly during the performance. Permanent blue lights reduce the need for portable worklights, but are usually supplemented with portables for specific production needs. In a typical modern installation blue lights are controlled simultaneously by three control systems; work light switches, house light switches, and the stage lighting control console. This permits local control by switches, central control by houselight preset pushbuttons, and control during performances by the stage lighting control console. Any cue on the stage lighting console can include changes in the white and blue worklights.

Architect: Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates - Malcolm Holzman and Nestor Bottino
Acoustician: Acoustic Dimensions - Ron Elligator