False Alarm in Lerner Forces Cancellations

"Well, at least we know it works."

Those words regarding the deluge sprinklers that went off in Roone Arledge Auditorium early Thursday morning, although reassuring to fire-safety crews and Lerner Hall's creators, were anything but for members of Orchesis dance troop and for Ferris Reel Film Society.

A stream of water designed to protect the audience in Arledge Auditorium from a fire onstage hit the Auditorium stage just before 5:30 a.m. yesterday morning, damaging the fire system that serves the Auditorium and Arledge Cinema.

Because the fire system was damaged, Orchesis was forced to cancel last night's performance, and Ferris Reel moved its screening of Thirteen Days to Lerner Party Space.

"We don't know what caused the system to go off," said Executive Director of Lerner Hall Harris Schwartz.

Schwartz said the sprinklers, located near the front of the stage, are triggered electronically by a computer located outside the Auditorium.

The sprinklers are called deluge sprinklers because they produce a "curtain of water" that is supposed to separate the audience from the stage in the case of a fire onstage. The water that dropped to the stage early Thursday morning hit the fire control panel and damaged its circuitry, essentially destroying the hardware and silencing the fire alarm until the control panel is fixed.

The water also flooded the pit in front of the stage, submerged the motor that elevates the pit, and damaged stage lights Schwartz said.

Orchesis had originally planned to perform its "Trip the Light Fantastic" last night and tonight. Schwartz said he would not know whether Orchesis could perform in the auditorium tonight until this afternoon.

"The fire department, under requirement, will not permit use of the Auditorium for its normal functions unless there's a fire protection system functioning," Schwartz said.

"Under a good scenario," Schwartz said, the stage will be ready tomorrow. But he said that the stage lift and some stage lights would likely be out even if the Auditorium is available for use tomorrow.

Ferris Reel needed to relocate its regular Thursday-night cinema position because the fire system also serves the cinema.

Lerner administrators scrambled yesterday to accommodate the displaced events, giving Ferris Reel the party space and securing the Auditorium on Monday night for Orchesis.

Sarah Case, CC '01, the chair of Orchesis, said the dance group had originally planned to use the Auditorium on Monday night but was reconsidering because many members would be unable to dance on Monday.

"Many people do have some conflicts on Monday," Case said. "We will decide whether we do Monday or Tuesday" after a decision is made about whether Orchesis can use the Auditorium tonight. "If we don't have a show [tonight]," Case added, "a lot of people will probably choose to do it Monday."

Dara Falco, associate director for event management and scheduling at Alfred Lerner Hall, said she tried unsuccessfully to secure Miller Theater or Riverside Church, venues Orchesis has used in the past, for the dance group last night. Falco offered Lerner 555 to Orchesis, an area too small for the dancers in one piece, let alone the audience, Case said.

Falco added that the Auditorium was booked tomorrow and Saturday nights.

It is unclear whether the Auditorium would be open for Orchesis Tuesday night, as Falco was unavailable for comment late last night. But Case said, "we were told by Lerner they could probably do Tuesday."