Playwrights Horizon Theatre in New York City

In all of its work, PRG serves present needs — and plans for the future.

The Challenge: Maximize space and technical capacity in the lighting system for America’s best-known writer’s theatre.

The Solution: Playwrights Horizons is the only New York City theatre dedicated to producing new American plays and musicals. Since the mid-1970s, Playwrights had operated out of a Depression-era bank building that posed challenges for both rehearsals and productions. Rather than renovating the inadequate space, Playwrights opted to raze the structure and rebuild from the foundation up. Playwrights’ longtime architect Mitchell Kurtz made sure the new space was true to Playwrights’ identity. First and foremost, that meant an emphasis on quality. According to Kurtz, it also meant working with PRG: “Why not work with folks you know, who have the best products available,” he says. “Using PRG was an easy choice.”

Working with Kurtz and Robert Davis, president of Davis Crossfield Associates, PRG installed the theatrical lighting system throughout the new, compact five-story building. To take care of current and future needs, the team opted to use Category 5 Ethernet wire to carry the DMX signal, rather than traditional shielded twisted-pair cable. In the short term, this choice saved money because Cat-5 cable is less expensive than traditional cable. More important, the Ethernet effectively runs the DMX protocol and makes the facility upgrade-ready.