State: Playhouse buildings are unsafe

A report issued by the State of South Dakota entitled “Black Hills Playhouse Hazard Identification Survey”â��lists a litany of structural problems with the buildings of the Black Hills Playhouse, and concludes the entire complex be “removed from service” until each of the buildings can be further inspected by a structural engineer.

That was the suggestion of John Ullmann, project engineer for the Office of the State Engineer, in a memorandum he wrote to Craig Ambach of the Office of Risk Management. The memorandum is included in the survey provided to the Chronicle by the state. The report stops short of condemning any buildings on the property, however.

On Jan. 12, several state officials, including Ullman and representatives from the Office of Risk Management, Fire Marshal’s office, electrical commission, plumbing commission and Game, Fish and Parks conducted a survey of the Playhouse buildings owned by the State of South Dakota and located in Custer State Park. An invitation was sent to Playhouse staff to attend, but they declined due to scheduling conflicts.

The summary of the survey says the inspection “clearly indicates a significant concern with structural integrity and life safety issues throughout the Black Hills Playhouse complex.” It adds that the issues “create a significant threat to life safety to all users of the complex.”

The report contains individual reports from the Office of the State Engineer, Fire Marshal’s office, Plumbing Commission and Electrical Commission, each of which has concerns about the buildings.

The report specifically singles out the snack shop and dining hall as two of the biggest risks, saying there should be no occupancy in either building until they are inspected by a structural engineer and determined safe for use. The report also says the  theatre balcony must be inspected prior to allowing any further use, and all Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) buildings on the premises should be demolished due to their conditions.

The report goes into great detail, giving itemized descriptions of each area of concern, along with accompanying photos. In the theatre, there are 12 red-flagged areas, ranging from identifying trip hazards to concerns about the balcony. According to the report, the support beams for the balcony were removed to make room for additional seating in the lower level, and the fire suppression system in the Playhouse serves only the stage area.

The snack shop is designated as “very unsafe,” specifically the basement, because of no emergency lighting, only one point of egress and a large fuel load. The report also says the shop is unsound because of conditions in the basement that include cut floor joists, rotting support columns and little maintenance.

In the dining hall, a large accumulation of leaves piled high under the structure is a fuel load concern, and the report states the structure “has been shimmed numerous times from underneath, creating a hazard to users.”

The sew shop was also recommended for no human occupancy because of compromised structural integrity. The report says a number of trusses have been reinforced to assist with structural integrity, and a hole was cut in the floor at one time and then patched, but “daylight could be seen around the entire cut.” Other buildings that should not have human occupancy, according to the report, are carpentry, properties, paint, costumes and trillory.

The CCC�buildings have been shimmed, the trusses are beginning to separate or have been shimmed with additional blocking. The floors are sagging and lifting as the structural supports rot away. Playhouse officials say they have long asked the state to tear down the CCC buildings.

The report adds that while the theatre is probably salvageable, it is doubtful the snack shop or dining hall could be returned to service.

“All of these buildings have significant structural issues,”â��the report states.

Other issues found on the site in various structures include building egress/exiting issues, exposed framing, poor stage curtains, finish materials that do not meet applicable flame spread requirements for assembly occupancies, a lack of drinking fountains, restrooms issues and other plumbing issues.

The report also mentions some of the buildings were constructed by the Playhouse board—such as the dorms, the rehearsal hall, prop buildings, dining hall and barber shop—without submitting plans to the state. Playhouse executive director Michale Burgraff said state officials said they would like to see the engineering specifications for the building, which Burgraff said would be “no problem.”

Burgraff said he and the board have seen the review, and are deciding which course of action to take. He said in the grand scheme of things, he believes the review was “very fair.”

“There are a number of issues both sides would like to talk about,”â��he said.â��“Many things we agree with them wholeheartedly.”

Burgraff and the Playhouse board spoke with the inspectors via conference call, and basically felt the state was saying the Playhouse needed to bring in a structural engineer to decide whether or not the buildings in question were safe. Until that time, Burgraff said, it was his belief the state was going to assume the worst. He did agree bringing in a structural engineer is something that needs to be done.

“The state made it clear it’s an all-or-nothing proposition,”â��he said.â��“Once we have done what we are going to do, they will come back and tell us yes or no.”

Burgraff said some of the stuff flagged in the report is in fact allowed under certain codes and statutes, and that those areas would be pointed out to the state.

However, even if the board had the money to make all the repairs the state is requesting, the board would not have time to make those repairs before the upcoming season, Burgraff said. What’s more, the fact the board still has a lawsuit pending against the state over the terms of its lease further complicates things.

“We could go in and do hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs, just to have a judge say we don’t have a lease,” he said.â��“That doesn’t make sense.”

Early Tuesday afternoon, the Playhouse board voted to take its show on the road this summer. The Playhouse will not perform in the park this summer, but will perform a “tour of communities” — in Lead, Custer and Hill City. When the Playhouse was started over 60 years ago, it started as a traveling show. “We would be getting back to our roots,”â��Burgraff said.â��

Playhouse board president Jerry Wheeler said the board decided on the course of action during a two-hour conference call, citing a desire to keep the Playhouse active while the issues in Custer State Park are sorted through.

“Hopefully, we will get back to the Playhouse next fall or spring and be back in business. That’s the long term goal,” he said. “This will give a lot of people a chance to see plays they might not have driven to see. It will expose hundreds of people to a new experience. We think that’s good for the Playhouse.”

“The bottom line is, the board and Iâ��feel it’s vital for us to maintain our presence,” Burgraff said.