The Tarkington receives lighting & safety upgrades

New LED system & handrails installed in Allied Solutions Center theater

As Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts prepares to announce its upcoming 2026-2027 season, major upgrades have taken place at its mid-sized venue.

Visitors to the Tarkington, the 500-seat proscenium theater at 3 Carter Green, will notice new handrails in the aisles to enhance safety and accessibility, as well as a new, state-of-the-art LED lighting system bringing more vivid effects to performances.

Photo by Joshua Hasty & Nick Brown

Much of the original incandescent lighting system, a mix of moving and static fixtures tailored to various needs, has been replaced with High End Systems Halcyon Gold LED fixtures from employee-owned, Wisconsin-based manufacturer ETC, which offer angle, focus, and motion control along with greater brightness, sharpness, and color flexibility. All adjustments to the 88 fixtures can be made instantly from the ground console – even after sets have been constructed and a performance is underway on stage – which all but eliminates time-consuming manual work on lifts and ladders.

“We’ve really stepped up our game with these new capabilities, and that enables the artists and presenters to do the same,” said Tarkington Technical Director Joshua Hasty, who worked with Center Lighting Director Nick Brown and other colleagues to evaluate hundreds of products before selecting the new equipment. “We can respond quickly to their ideas and needs even if they’re in the theater for just one night.”

The LEDs use less energy, produce less heat on stage and require replacement far less often than incandescent lamps. The accompanying control console comes with digital modeling software that enables a lighting designer to create and experiment with setups even when offsite or when the stage is set for other productions.

“It’s insane, the stuff they’re coming up with,” said Hasty, who has worked more than two decades in the technical theater field and nearly 10 years at Allied Solutions Center. “The fact that you can predesign in a 3D model on your laptop, even when we don’t have access to the theater, that’s a huge benefit that we haven’t even taken full advantage of yet.”

Similarly, new LED lighting was installed two years ago to replace the aging system at the neighboring 1,500-seat Payne & Mencias Palladium. Major capital improvements on the campus are funded with support from the Carmel Redevelopment Commission and the City of Carmel.

To complement the larger music hall, the Tarkington was designed for theater and dance productions, with stage wings, a fly system, special stage flooring and other features. It is housed across Carter Green in the James Building, which also includes the Studio Theater, a black box space with flexible seating and stage configurations. Civic Theatre is the principal resident company at “The Tark,” though the venue hosts a wide range of arts performances and community events.

As for the handrails, the Tarkington’s stadium-style seating area has stairstep aisles at the center and sides where patrons sometimes stumble while coming and going, said Krista Layfield, Allied Solutions Center’s Front of House Manager. Now, continuing a series of accessibility upgrades on the campus, sleek steel handrails have been installed down the middle of each aisle to help people maintain their balance. REI Real Estate, which manages the James Building, collaborated on the project.

“The ushers were so happy when they saw the handrails, and the feedback has been very positive,” Layfield said. “We want our venues to feel as safe and welcoming as possible, and this is a simple but impactful way to make a difference for our patrons.”

Learn more at TheCenterPresents.org.