The Tryon Festival theater shares many similarities to the Colwell Playhouse but it does also definitely have its own characteristics that sets it apart. The sublobby and the seats are once again red but in this theater the walls are actually white instead of black. This theater is designed for opera so the white coloring of the walls is designed to lighten the mood. Because this theater is designed for opera, the acoustics are designed for vocal performance so there is a good echo here which is much different that the Playhouse.

     The Festival Theater has a full balcony rather than just the wheelchair accessible balconies of the Playhouse. This theater also has two screw lifts on the front of the stage. Since most operas require an orchestra, and thus an orchestra pit, the lifts in this theater can commonly be found in a lowered position. This theater seats around 1,000 people. For this reason, many of the touring or Marquee productions that are put on at Krannert are done so in this theater. (Most orchestras, instrumental, and vocal performers will however perform in the Great Hall.) You will not find a center aisle in the main floor but you will not find seats all the way across either. The main floor is too large to only have end aisles so the Krannerts compromised and went with two split-center aisles. The balcony still only has the end aisles though.

     This theater is also equipped with a Sennheiser Audio System and an asbestos curtain. The stage is similar in size to that of the Playhouse. There is enough room for sets on stage, stage left, stage right, and back stage. There is 96' or fly space above this stage. The proscenium arch is 40' wide by 26' high and the stage itself is 35' deep.

      There are also a few other unique details about this theater. First of all, a trap door can be placed anywhere on the stage. The stage is covered by a bunch of 4'x8' panels. Any of these can be removed and a trap door can be put in its place. In most theaters, there is only one specific place that a trap door can be located. This is because it costs less to frame in a trap door in one spot since you only need to add extra support to that one stop. With removable panels, extra support needs to be added everywhere underneath the stage. The disadvantage to only being able to place a trap door in one spot is that the show needs to be designed around the stage. The director has to block the motions of the actors to fit with where the trap will be located. With the possibility of having a trap door anywhere, the director can simply set the show up how he would like it and then put the trap door where it needs to be.

      There is also a great deal more space on the sides of the stage than you would find in most theaters. The fly galleries, which is where the ropes and mechanical pieces for hanging things above the stage are located, are normally right no the edge of the stages. On this stage, as well as the stage in the Playhouse, the fly galleries are located on the second level. By doing this, the space on the sides of the stage can be increased. This is known as a double purchase fly system. The main disadvantage of this type of system is that normally you would have to add the same amount of weight to the arbor (the support) as whatever you are hanging off of the baton (the fly piece- often pipe- used for hanging). With a double purchase system, you need to add twice the weight to the arbor that you have on the baton to ensure that the hanging piece does not fall and is still movable.

      There are also some special seats in the back of both the Festival Theater and Foellinger Great Hall. These are called score seats. There are dim lights by these seats as well as some counters. These can be used by patrons who would like to follow along in the libretto of an opera or follow the score of a piece that an orchestra is playing.

Seating in Tryon Festival Theater on the main floor

Seating in Tryon Festival Theater in the balcony

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