Patio will take center stage

By ANNABEL GIRARD
Staff Writer

When is a patio not a patio?

When it's the base for the stage at The Great American Brass Band Festival.

One new addition this year that won't be noticeable to the public, but will be greatly appreciated by the festival crew is a patio Centre College has built on the west side of Cowan Dining Hall.

The idea sort of started as a joke, said John Albright, who helps organize the crew that puts up the festival stage. A couple of years ago, one of the crew joked that they needed to talk Centre into putting up a patio to provide a level surface for the stage.

Until this year, the stage went on the ground, which has a slope to it. That meant adding 18 inches to two feet to the six legs that support the stage. It was a process that took four to five hours, Albright said. "You start at the back and work your way to the front."

A level stage is important. One, so performers don't start sliding off. Second, and more important, a level stage adds to the integrity of the structure. And if the stage isn't level, the backdrop with the festival logo would slant.

Eventually, the casual remark became a suggestion that was made to college officials and this year, the suggestion became a patio.

"For us, it will be easier to level. It will save time and set up," Albright said. "I think aesthetically it will look nicer. It was nice of them to get our input."

Patsi Trollinger, spokeswoman for the college, said the primary purpose of the patio "is to make it easier for the stage crew during the festival."

While the college hasn't no set plans for the patio, Trollinger feels sure it will quickly become a popular gathering spot. Picnic tables for students and faculty will be put out when the stage isn't there.