BREAKING NEWS FROM INDEPENDENCE . . . The start of the 2014 Neewollah festival got off to a bit of a scare at the musical performance of Honk! at Memorial Hall on Friday night. The following details were witnessed by Montgomery County Chronicle editor Andy Taylor, who was in attendance at the play. With about 10 minutes remaining in the second act, the fire alarms inside the auditorium were triggered. It was soon discovered that the fire alarms were triggered by the on-stage fog machines that were used to provide a dramatic effect in that act. The play was halted, and co-producer Lois Lessman asked the spectators to leave. After a few seconds, the problem was discovered, the guests were invited to return to their seats. However, the fire alarms also sent a signal to the Independence Fire Department. As a precautionary measure, the auditorium was evacuated of all spectators and play personnel, and firefighters searched the entire auditorium for any other fire-related issues. It was then that the scare took place. While spectators were attempting to leave the auditorium, they discovered that many of the fire exits would not open. The fire exit on the east side of the auditorium would not open. All but one of the fire exits on the north side of the main floor also were inoperable. The doors leading from the auditorium main floor to the main foyer were open, and spectators were allowed to exit from those doors. Spectators on the second floor were able to exit from the main stairwell that empty onto the foyer. However, many of the spectators on the main floor were forced to exit the only operable fire exit on the north side of the auditorium, which was a single-passage doorway. No injuries were reported. However, the issue of lack of proper fire exits did seem to irritate many of the theatre attendees. Independence firefighters did examine each of the doors and were able to get several of the stuck doors to open. After the all-clear was given, attendees were invited back into the auditorium to view the remainder of the musical; however, many of the ticket holders left Memorial Hall after being told to evacuate. The Chronicle was in contact with Independence city commissioner Leonhard Caflisch after the play. Caflisch, an architect by profession, came to Memorial Hall after being told of the lack of operable fire exits. A quick examination of the doors revealed that the doors may have not been properly installed during the recent Memorial Hall renovation, he said. The lack of a beveled edge on the strike-face side of the double doors caused the doors to lock, or buckle together, when pushed, he said. Humidity could have caused those wooden doors to swell slightly, which could create a nearly seal-tight gap between the door and the door frame. As a solution for the remainder of the musical performances this weekend, firefighters will be stationed at the fire exits to assure the doors will be open in the event of an emergency. Lois Lessman, co-producer of the play, also said the technical crew was reassessing the use of the fog machines in the play.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 04:37:28 +0000
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