Bengt Sjostrom Theatre facts for kids
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Starlight Theatre
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| Location | Rockford, Illinois |
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| Public transit |  RMTD |
| Owner | Rock Valley College |
| Capacity | 1,041 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1966 |
| Architect | Studio Gang Architects |
| Builder | Sjostrom & Sons, Inc. |
The Bengt Sjostrom Theatre, often called the Starlight Theatre, is a cool outdoor theater in Rockford, Illinois. It's part of the Rock Valley College campus. This theater is home to the Rock Valley College Starlight Theatre, which is one of two theaters run by the college. The other is the indoor Rock Valley College Studio Theatre.
Contents
Discovering the Starlight Theatre's History
How the Theater Was Built
The Bengt Sjostrom Theatre was built in 1983. It is named after Bengt Sjostrom, a builder and community leader. His company, Sjostrom & Sons, Inc., built the college buildings from 1967 to 1971. Mr. Sjostrom was the head of this construction company, which his father started in 1914.
The idea for the theater began in 1974. A group of people wanted a permanent home for the Starlight Theatre, a summer program in Rockford. By 1976, they had built a stage, an orchestra pit, and a basic seating area. All of this was paid for by private donations.
A Special Gift to the Community
The theater's final construction phase started thanks to Charles Blake. He was a director at the Rock Valley College Foundation. Because of his efforts, Sjostrom & Sons, Inc. built the rest of the theater. They did this as a gift, honoring Bengt Sjostrom. That's why the theater is named after him today.
Modernizing the Starlight Theatre
Exciting Renovations and Upgrades
Rock Valley College began updating the Bengt Sjostrom Starlight Theatre in 2001. They worked with Studio Gang O'Donnell, now known as Studio Gang Architects. The goal was to keep the outdoor feel of the theater. But they also wanted to make it possible to have shows in any weather. This would allow the theater to have a longer season.
The first phase of updates brought many improvements. It became easier for everyone to access the theater. The seating capacity grew from 600 to 1,100 seats. New restrooms, a ticket office, and concession stands were added. The theater also got the latest technology for shows.
The Amazing Retractable Roof
The second phase of renovations finished in 2002. This included building a large proscenium stage house. A proscenium stage is like a picture frame around the stage. This new stage house was about 150-foot (46 m) long. It added a system to move scenery, a bigger stage, and a protected stage area. It also helped block outside noise.
The most impressive part of the renovation was completed in June 2003. This was a motorized retractable roof!
How the Roof Works
The roof was designed by Studio Gang Architects and Uni-Systems, an engineering company from Minneapolis. They used technology often found in huge sports stadiums. The roof has six triangle-shaped panels. Each panel is about 36-foot-wide (11 m) and 42-foot-long (13 m). All together, the panels weigh 86 tons.
The roof can open up. This gives the audience a cool star-shaped view of the sky. Or, it can close completely. This protects the audience from bad weather, which used to be a problem for the theater.
