The Muny - Second Century Theatre Renovations

Building a Better Backstage Experience

Due to a complex mix of renovations and additions stitched together over the last century, The Muny backstage spaces, administrative offices, shop areas, and support spaces were all in need of an overhaul.

Our process began with embedding our staff to ask questions and document during the 2019 centennial theatre season run. We met with every facet of the production teams and the year-round staff, attended shows both front-of-house and back-of-house, sat in on meetings, and watched them paint and build sets. This enabled us to see things not normally observed by management and leadership.

The assumption at the onset was that more space was needed. But our observations led us to recommend a custom design that reimagines the current space with an emphasis in three areas to make every square foot available work harder – improving adjacencies, increasing community and connectivity, and improving accessibility and wayfinding. Our aim is that the outcome will allow The Muny to continue creating magic well into the Second Century.