Woodford Theatre to open bids for lighting, stage and seating work; committee approves advertising

The Woodford County Fiscal Court Budget and Finance Committee voted to advertise and begin the bid process for lighting upgrades and for repairs to the stage and flooring at the Woodford Theatre, the committee chair said during the meeting.

The theatre’s representatives told the committee the modernization project was included in the prior year’s county budget but was postponed because the venue’s performance schedule limited when the work could be done. “Our dark month in the theater world…is July,” Daniel, a Woodford Theatre representative, said, adding that the project team had recreated a request-for-bid document and submitted it to county staff earlier in the week.

The bid package discussed includes lighting and sound upgrades, replacement of seats that the theatre said are about 22 years old, and a stage-floor replacement. Darlene, another Woodford Theatre representative, briefed the committee on the theatre’s current season, the youth showcase this weekend and an upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz, and thanked the county for supporting the project.

Judge (meeting chair) called for motions. The committee approved a motion to advertise and begin the bid process for the theatre lighting. A second motion to advertise and begin the bid process for repairs to the stage and flooring also carried unanimously. Committee members who moved or seconded were identified in the record for the stage-and-flooring motion as Squire Carl (mover) and Squire Varner (seconder); the original mover for the lights motion was recorded only as “Squire” and was not further identified in the transcript.

County maintenance staff and theatre representatives said some seat components had already been ordered; the theatre asked the county to proceed so work can be completed during July when the theatre is dark. The county and theatre indicated the work will be packaged as bid solicitations that separate equipment and labor items and that the theatre hopes to receive multiple bidders.

The committee did not set contract awards at the meeting; it authorized advertising the bids so the county can accept proposals and later return with a recommendation for award.

The committee thanked the theatre delegates for attending, and members and staff discussed small safety improvements made recently at the venue — including installation of a railing to stage-level steps — and thanked county maintenance and others for that work.