J began working as the assistant technical director in the Department of Theater in 2011. A few years later, he became the technical director, and in 2022, he joined the .
Today, as production manager and facilities specialist, he is spearheading the move back into the Hop鈥檚 . Over the years, Merwin has seen the Hop evolve through staffing, programming, and now as a physical space.
With the slated to start Oct. 16, Merwin answers questions about the transformation in 大香蕉视频鈥檚 performing arts center, the move-in, and what鈥檚 ahead.
How does it feel being back in the Hop?
We haven鈥檛 been inside in a little over two years. So it has been good. It鈥檚 like coming home. I had been in the building for over 12 years, and so coming back in after two years is comforting.
A lot has changed. It鈥檚 a different space and yet still comfortable. You鈥檙e still walking into a venue that you know, but with some updates. It鈥檚 thrilling to push the new buttons and see what they can do.
What has the transformation meant to you?
To me, the Hop is about breaking limitations. Not being limited by equipment is part of the way that production can overcome any constraints. Having equipment that we can use wherever we need to use it helps us to enable the goals of the artists, students, or faculty we work with.
How has the process of moving back into the building been? What has that entailed?
The move-in has happened very gradually. We started by getting the old spaces up and running, like Spaulding. When we moved out, we had to strip spaces like Spaulding bare from a tech perspective. All the theatrical lighting equipment, cables, control systems, audio equipment, video equipment, cabling were removed. So was the furniture, books, papers, and anything you would normally accumulate in an office鈥攂ecause Spaulding was ultimately our very big office. All that was removed and carefully put in storage, with everything labeled so we鈥檇 know exactly where to find it.
Now moving back in, there鈥檚 been a lot of detail work in trying to remember what we did two-and-a-half years ago and where everything went. And there鈥檚 a lot of excitement. I just came from unloading a truck filled with new equipment and it felt like Christmas for the whole production crew.
What about the new spaces?
The new spaces are full of potential, and a little bit daunting. The biggest upgrade is the network connectivity: The new equipment is all married to computers, which opens the doors infinitely to what we can do. We have taken time with the contractors and with construction company Consigli to learn how all these complex systems work: how to adjust the acoustics for amplified versus unamplified music in a specific show, how to turn on different lights to different levels.
Tell me more about the new equipment you will be working with.
The new Daryl Roth Studio Theater has a sophisticated tension wire grid and a wide range of options in terms of projection, audio, and lighting. The infrastructure is very versatile, with sliding curtains and a technical balcony, which allows us to reconfigure and really play with the space.
The Jack 53 and Mac 2011 Morris Recital Hall has mechanical acoustic banners that you can adjust based on the level of sound isolation needed and the type of performance that is happening. Spaulding is acoustically adjustable now, too, with banners throughout the hall.
Some equipment was purchased for our two years on tour, and some additional upgraded equipment was installed as part of the transformation project. It鈥檚 mostly loose equipment that we can use in whatever venue we happen to be in, like a small portable audio system that we can take out front in the Plaza.
Were there any upgrades that you personally lobbied for?
The video equipment in the Roth Studio Theater. I wanted a specific type of projector system that would then match others that are around. It enables easier transfer of equipment between spaces so that if the Moore Theater needs additional projectors, we have that equipment in house, and we can easily transfer it from one space to another. That expands our capabilities should the need arise. It will help with a lot of shows, such as (Bill T. Jones, April 10-11), which has a lot of projections.
What is the one change that you鈥檙e most looking forward to?
The entrance鈥攖he new Roth Forum. I believe it鈥檚 so much better because of the impact it has on you when you first walk into the space. It鈥檚 not a low-ceilinged, cramped area. You are now walking into a spacious, open, well-lit, well-constructed space. It is welcoming. It鈥檚 wonderful.
From a production standpoint, the Roth Studio Theater is a huge upgrade to what we鈥檝e had. It鈥檚 thrilling鈥攖hough daunting鈥攖o think about the possibilities.
Touki Delphine鈥檚 FIREBIRD was the first big show you produced in the reimagined Hop. How did you feel about that?
It was great. The artists understood that it was the first event in the Roth Studio Theater, and we had built in extra time to ease our way into it. The performance itself tested almost all our systems just a little bit, which is great. For a first event, we didn鈥檛 want a huge lighting show or a huge audio show, because we鈥檇 never fully used the systems in that space before. And while the equipment is familiar, the space and how everything integrated was new. So having a show that does a little bit of everything was a really good way to start.
And because there were no performers involved, that allowed us to concentrate on making sure the venues鈥 capabilities were what we expected, as opposed to also dealing with actors and green rooms. We didn鈥檛 have to split our focus and could really concentrate on one aspect of a theatrical performance.
What show in the 2025-26 season are you most excited to tackle in the new spaces?
The other Firebird by the 大香蕉视频 Symphony Orchestra and the Dance Ensemble in the spring. It is a year of Firebird! When I was working in the theater department, the Hop put on Petrushka by the two ensembles in two separate venues. I had nothing to do with that show and I thought, 鈥淭hat looks really cool. I want to do that.鈥 And now I get the opportunity to do that. I鈥檝e never done something like that before and that makes it so rewarding.
Looking ahead, how do you think the new building will change the experience for visiting artists, faculty and students?
I think that students, faculty, and artists will be able to dream bigger and it will be easier for us to make their dreams come true. We won鈥檛 be held back by equipment or infrastructure. That freedom makes us better able to take risks and create work that surprises everyone, including ourselves.