by Sally Sedgwick

Heidi Korstad, Edge Center technical director, sits at the new light board
overlooking the theatre stage.

Twenty years ago, the Edge Center Theatre opened in Bigfork. It was unique in the area, with a fly-loft,
orchestra pit, attached gallery, 283 comfortable seats and state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems.
“State-of-the-art” was key, and part of the new theatre’s motto.
Then technology moved on.
Edge staff found that visiting artists couldn’t interface with the older analog system. Lighting wasn’t
easily changeable: crews had to scramble to change gels to change colors. One spotlight was so hot,
stagehands had to use oven mitts when working with it.
The situation had to be fixed, and that would take money. What followed, said Artistic Director Patricia
Feld, relied heavily on Korstad’s extensive knowledge of technical theatre and her connections throughout
the theatre world.
The Edge Center was able to raise $308,000 from grants through the Blandin Foundation, a Business
Energy Retrofit program through the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, a Minnesota Power
energy savings incentive program and $20,000 from a generous individual.
“Then,” said Heidi Korstad, technical director for the Edge Center, “it became a deliberate process.”
What was needed and what was available were researched. Theatre people were contacted and vendors
sought. Gopher Stage Lighting and Audiologic were selected to bring the Edge Center back to “state-of-the-
art.”
What resulted was a new light board to control stage lighting, a new digital sound board with separate
wired connections to musicians onstage, four additional speakers along the edge of the stage, 6 wireless
and two handheld microphones, a half dozen hearing assist devices for use by the audience, a new laser
projector, a new spotlight and much more.
When the Edge Center was built, a friend told Korstad one important thing: “Put in empty conduit
everywhere before you pour the concrete!” It was prophetic, Korstad said, and extremely satisfying when
the vendors said: “You’re going to need a lot more wiring!”