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The Marie Foster Performing Arts Hall is widely recognized as one of the top concert halls in the country. With 1700 seats arranged in continental style seating, a one-of-a-kind orchestra shell, and state-of-the-art equipment, patrons are provided the opportunity to experience unequaled, outstanding performances. Non-profit organizations that provide the finest in concerts, ballets and productions include: Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra; Bartlesville Civic Ballet; Bartlesville Choral Society; Children’s Musical Theatre of Bartlesville; OK Mozart Festival; Community Concert Association; and Bartlesville Community Center’s Broadway in Bartlesville touring series.

Seating

Seats are arranged in the Continental style, i.e., with no center aisle. Each row, 42 inches wide, is actually considered to be an aisle. This seating arrangement meets all safety standards and the Auditorium can be emptied in 4 to 5 minutes.

View BCC Seating Chart

Download BCC Seating Chart (pdf)

Sound

The sound reverberation rate in the Auditorium is controlled with the drapes on the side and rear walls in optimized ranges of 1.9 seconds for symphony concerts to 1.1 seconds for theater performances. The drapes are raised and lowered electrically in a matter of seconds.

Sound is controlled from the open deck at the rear of the Auditorium. There are 64 microphone locations on the stage that may be used. The system also has capabilities for reel-to-reel tape, cassette tape and phonograph inputs. The main speakers are located behind the grill cloth just above the center of the stage. During a performance, a technician monitors the sound.

Lighting

The lighting control board is located behind the windows in the rear center of the Auditorium. There are 308 electrical circuits in the stage area that can be assigned to 64 dimmers operated by the lighting control board. The control board is capable of remembering all of the dimmer intensities and execution time for each cue and can then display the cues on stage in any order the operator chooses.

Overheard at the rear of the theater are two doors which can be opened and behind which are located the follow spots, one at each opening. Each spot is controlled by an operator who selects a color gel, adjusts the size and intensity of the spot, and follows the performers around on stage.

Stage

The centerpiece of the Marie Foster Performing Arts Hall is the stage. The stage lift at the front and the telescoping orchestra shell at the back, combined with a full range of other features, give the stage the versatility to accommodate a wide variety of performances and events.

Downloads: Stage Technical Data • Line Set Schedule • Production Line Set Schedule

Stage Lift

This lift is 62 feet wide and 11 feet deep and is raised and lowered by screw jacks. At the upper level of five levels, the lift can be used as an extension of the stage. At the Auditorium level, the next lower level, the lift can provide additional seating for 86 people. At the orchestra pit level, the lift can accommodate 45 musicians. The next two lower levels (not visible from the Auditorium) provide access to a storage area for large equipment directly below the stage, such as grand pianos, and to the Studio Theater, the bottom level directly below the Auditorium seating area.

Orchestra Shell

At the rear of the stage is the telescoping orchestra shell which moves on an "air caster" system. It literally floats on the thin stream of air, which permits extension of the five telescoping sections in a matter of minutes. It is the first of its kind in the world, although the principle has been used in other applications, such as moving oil field equipment or sea hovercraft.