- The Hamm Building goes down two levels underground with a basement and sub-basement.
- The sub-basement may be haunted by the ghost of a former maintenance worker named Pete who had fallen down an elevator shaft in the 1950’s. He seems, however, to be a benign ghost who may simply flash by, suddenly turn off a light or cause a switch to spark.
- During Prohibition, mobsters may have used the sub-basement as a secret speakeasy and gambling house, which could explain the bullet holes in the walls.
- The light bulbs around the mirrors in Park Square’s dressing rooms match the frequency and wavelength of the stage lighting so actors can accurately view their costume and make up colors as they would appear on stage.
- Each of those light bulbs heat up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, with eight bulbs around each mirror and multiple mirrors in each of the four dressing rooms.
- A sophisticated sensory automatic lighting system is installed in the newer Boss Stage’s green room and dressing rooms to conserve energy and keep the area cooler.
- Park Square’s Facility and Event Manager Dave Peterson monitors and controls the theatre’s huge HVAC system through his computer and iPhone.
- Good airflow for the Boss Stage and its associated rooms with its lower ceilings (relative to the Proscenium Stage) are more difficult to maintain, as air ducts can get obstructed by such items as stage sets.
- The Proscenium Stage has a sound-proof private viewing box at the top of house right, which is often referred to as “The Quiet Room.”
- Peterson is also the theatre’s go-to IT generalist, a graduate of St. Olaf College (philosophy major), a string instruments player, a former prison music instructor and a former business owner. He applied at Park Square Theatre on a fluke; about two years ago after his wife spied the job posting and convinced him to take a look.
(11.) We are all glad that he did.
