RPG Diffusor Systems

Black Box Theater

A Black Box Theater is a flexible, multi-purpose drama space. It typically has a flat floor and does not have fixed seating. It can be set up in a variety of theater configurations including end stage, corner stage, small proscenium, in the round, etc. Black Box Theaters are usually double height spaces with roof decks approximately 25’ above the floor. Many Black Box Theaters have a technical gallery around their perimeters about 12’ off the main floor and a rigging grid over the central floor area. Black Box Theaters are literally blacked-out boxes. Wall surfaces are durable black materials to which different theater equipment and scenery can be attached.

The acoustic goals in a Black Box Theater are excellent speech intelligibility and acoustic intimacy. To achieve these goals, the upper half of the Theater (above 12’) needs to be quite sound absortive/diffsorptive, while the lower part of the room needs to be reflective and diffusive.

Roof Deck	The roof deck over the Black Box Theater should be perforated Acoustic Metal Deck with fiberglass inserts in the flutes. If the deck already exists and is not an acoustic deck, then 4”-6” black Plenum Liner can be attached to the underside of the deck or thick Spray-On.
Upper Walls	The walls above 12’-0” need to be sound diffsorptive (ideal) or absorptive (minimal). RPG BAD Panels with black fabric are the ideal solution. Use 2” thick panels if the upper walls are gypsum board. Use 4” thick panels if the upper walls are concrete. If budget is limited, absorption can be used instead of diffsorption. Absorption can be achieved most economically by using black Plenum Liner on 75% of the upper wall surfaces. A nicer and more durable option would be RPG Absorbor Panels with black fabric.
Lower Walls	The lower walls of the Black Box Theater (below 12’-0”), should be primarily sound reflective and diffusive. The ideal solution that is also quite economical is RPG DiffusorBlox (half slotted, half nonslotted, painted). The entire lower half of the Theater could be DiffusorBlox, but if limited areas are desired, use the DiffusorBlox between 2’-0” and 10’-0” above the floor. The remaining wall area can be standard, painted CMU. All four corners in the lower half of the Theater should be sound absorptive. Apply RPG Absorbor Panels (4” thick) on both walls of each corner (3’-0” out from the corner) between 2’-0” and 10’-0” above the floor.
Floor	The floor of the Black Box Theater is governed by the theatrical use and is typically concrete or Masonite and plywood on sleepers.
*Warning*	Typically, there will also be multiple curtain tracks with full height black velour curtains for staging uses. Do not think that these curtains will provide the necessary acoustic absorption. Typically the curtains will be used only in limited locations. Occasionally, the curtains will be removed, leaving all the untreated wall surfaces exposed.

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