Canto USA’s RETRO Series has already been used in churches, schools, universities, museums, and performance spaces across the United States. For many of those venues, the appeal is straightforward: move to LED without tearing out the existing lighting system and starting over.
That same idea made sense nearly 11,000 miles away in Western Australia.
Methodist Ladies’ College in Claremont has been part of the community since 1907. Over the years, the campus has grown to include new drama and music facilities along with a geothermally heated pool complex.
Inside Hadley Hall, however, Theatre and Venues Manager Doug Hounslow was dealing with a house-light system that had become difficult to operate.
The room used three different groups of lights: 10 E27 LED lamps, 10 125-watt discharge lamps, and 20 250-watt discharge lamps. They were also switched from different locations around the venue.
For everyday use, that was inconvenient. For a performance space, it was even more limiting.
The Old Globe Theatre Upgrades Houselights With Canto USA RETRO Series
The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego used a temporary pandemic closure to tackle several overdue upgrades, including the houselights in its mainstage theatre.
The halogen houselights and control hardware had been in place since an earlier renovation. As LED technology improved, the Globe began looking for a system that would cut energy use while still giving the theatre the dimming and color quality it needed.
After testing several options, the theatre selected Canto USA’s RETRO Series.
The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA – Photo credit: Ryan Osborn. Trouble In Mind, Delicia Turner Sonnenberg – director, Lawrence E Moten III – scenic design, Nicole Jescinth Smith – costume design, Sherrice Mojgani – lighting design, Luqman Brown – sound design, Chandra R.M. Anthenill – production stage manager.
Finding the Right Houselight Upgrade
Chris Rynne, Director of Theatrical Applications at OCS Lighting + Control, already knew the Old Globe well. He had previously worked there as lighting director, so he knew the room and what the houselights needed to do.
Several LED options were brought in and tested before they made a decision.
“Cost and function were the deciding factors. We loved the dimming, ease of installation, color quality, and even distribution,” said Chris.
The theatre ultimately chose RETRO-Passive® 300 units for the mainstage houselights.
Working With the Existing Theatre
The project was not as simple as removing the old lamps and screwing in new ones.
Some of the older fixture cans and wiring needed repair or modification first. Once that work was done, 27 RETRO-Passive® 300 units were installed as part of a larger round of improvements throughout the theatre.
The houselight portion of the project took about a week.
Using a retrofit also meant much of the existing houselight infrastructure could stay in place, avoiding a full fixture replacement.
Dimming and Color on the Mainstage
For a theatre, houselights have to do more than turn on and off.
They need to fade cleanly before a performance, come back smoothly during intermission, and maintain a consistent appearance throughout the room. The RETRO-Passive® 300 gave the Globe the phase-dimming compatibility it needed while also improving house-lighting color.
After installation, both production staff and audiences responded well to the change. Staff noted smoother dimming and better color quality compared with the previous halogen system.
Lower Power and Less Heat
The move from halogen to LED also reduced the amount of power used by the house lights.
Another benefit was the reduced heat added to the theatre. Halogen lamps give off a substantial amount of heat, especially when several are operating overhead. The RETRO installation reduced that heat load, which in turn reduced demand on the HVAC system.
For the Old Globe, that meant the houselight upgrade affected more than the lighting itself. It also helped lower the energy required to operate the room.
Chris was pleased with the finished system:
“We were really happy with how the RETRO series performed. We hope to use it on the next project we’re working on.”
The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA – Photo credit: Ryan Osborn. Trouble In Mind, Delicia Turner Sonnenberg – director, Lawrence E Moten III – scenic design, Nicole Jescinth Smith – costume design, Sherrice Mojgani – lighting design, Luqman Brown – sound design, Chandra R.M. Anthenill – production stage manager.
The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA - Crédit photo, Ryan Osborn. Trouble In Mind, Delicia Turner Sonnenberg - mise en scène, Lawrence E Moten III - conception scénique, Nicole Jescinth Smith - conception des costumes, Sherrice Mojgani - conception des éclairages, Luqman Brown - conception du son, Chandra R.M. Anthenill - régisseur de la production.
The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA - Crédit photo, Ryan Osborn. Trouble In Mind, Delicia Turner Sonnenberg - mise en scène, Lawrence E Moten III - conception scénique, Nicole Jescinth Smith - conception des costumes, Sherrice Mojgani - conception des éclairages, Luqman Brown - conception du son, Chandra R.M. Anthenill - régisseur de la production.
Canto USA’s RETRO Series Fully Dimmable LED Retrofit Houselights
Canto USA is proud to present our RETRO series. The RETRO-Fusion® 2.0 and RETRO-Passive® 2.0 are 0-100% phase dimmable (forward and reverse) variable wattage LED 2700K-6500K 80-97 CRI engines. They are designed for older SCR, TRIAC, and IGBT dimmer systems but are compatible with newer dimmer systems. A direct replacement of existing lamps, our LED retrofit can be used in a wide range of applications or even new installations. Custom and standard mounting options are available.
See other RETRO Series installations and case studies on our site: Canto USA RETRO Series Installations: Brighten Your Day With RETRO Retrofits.
