The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater, also known as The Ruth at dōTERRA, opened its doors on January 4, 2025, and is already making a name for itself as a premier performing arts venue. A culmination of years of planning, the stunning new venue in Pleasant Grove, Utah, is equipped with Elation’s latest lighting technology.

The venue houses two theaters, the 670-seat Scott and Karen Smith Grand Theater and the intimate 300-seat Lindsay Legacy Theater. Elation lighting graces both theaters, including 40 ARTISTE MONET luminaires and 88 KL PROFILE FC fixtures, supplied by Barbizon Light of the Rockies, and 103 FUZE PENDANT COMPACT fixtures, sold by Elation dealer Brio Technologies. Michael Gray, head of lighting at The Ruth, specified fixture types and quantities.

New Theater Space
The theater operated for 35 years as the Hale Center Theater Orem, a small semi-professional theater-in-the-round with a 300-seat capacity. Over the years, it built a devoted audience and searched for a larger venue to accommodate its growing patron base. dōTERRA, a local company in Pleasant Grove, generously donated land and funding, enabling the theater to construct a new facility on the dōTERRA campus. In November 2022, construction commenced, and after a swift two-year build, the stunning Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater was completed. Besides the two theaters, the facility also houses an education center, multiple studios, a ballroom, a VIP lounge, and administrative and support spaces.

Troy Anderson, Director of Operations at The Ruth, served as project manager, working with architects Method Studio and contractors to realize the space. The Shalleck Collaborative served as the theatrical consultants. Anderson also led the technical aspects of the project, including the execution of the lighting installation. His collaboration with Barbizon, Brio Technologies, and Elation representatives William Irwin and Nick Saiki helped bring the vision to life.

A Second Look
The Ruth’s lighting system was designed to meet the high demands of a bustling theater that hosts performances six days a week. The journey to choosing Elation fixtures was not immediate, however. A previous lighting specification was evaluated by Brio Technologies, an Elation dealer with whom Anderson has worked for over 20 years. “When their proposal came in, the price point was quite significant compared to the original specification, which led to a closer evaluation of Elation,” Anderson stated. An initial shootout was then conducted with several Elation products, but no firm decision was made.

The theater aimed to evaluate various manufacturers, and Gray organized a more comprehensive and in-depth comparison with Elation and other manufacturers. The second shootout was conducted at a sister theater in West Valley, Utah, which allowed the technical team to compare moving lights and ellipsoidal-type fixtures in a real-world setting.  

ARTISTE MONET 
“We knew we needed a lighting system that could handle the complexity of our productions and provide a wide range of flexibility,” Anderson says. “At the end of the day, the ARTISTE MONET won us over with its good price-performance ratio.”

The ARTISTE MONET is a multi-award-winning 45,000-lumen LED Profile luminaire with a 7-flag SpectraColor color mixing system, 4-blade framing with endless rotation, and a comprehensive FX package. “Its versatility allows us to use it as a followspot, a static washlight, a moving head, or an effects light, all in the same production. It’s really something special to see how creative our lighting programmer can get with them.”

KL PROFILE FC
Elation’s KL PROFILE FC, a full-spectrum ellipsoidal with integrated zoom, also played a critical role in the decision-making process. “The adjustable lensing and the range of features that come with the KL PROFILE were key in its choice,” says Anderson. Both fixtures were earmarked for use in the Smith Grand Theater.

FUZE PENDANT COMPACT
The FUZE PENDANT COMPACT was selected as the house light for both the Grand Theater and the Lindsay Legacy Theater, a decision that came after an initial house light specified for the venue turned out to be white light only, which didn’t meet the theater’s needs. The FUZE PENDANT’s ability to provide full-color lighting allows the theater to immerse audiences in the world of the production from the moment they enter.

“We use a lot of color in our house lighting,” Anderson notes. “As patrons enter the theater, we want them to feel like they’re already part of the set and the show. The tones and colors we get from the FUZE PENDANT make that possible, and they match with our other lighting fixtures. Color was a critical factor in choosing these lights.”

Smith Grand / Lindsay Legacy
At the heart of The Ruth is the exquisite Scott and Karen Smith Grand Theater, a 10,000-square-foot space with a proscenium thrust that has the added flexibility to be adapted to a full theater-in-round, accommodating an additional 100 seats. The Lindsay Legacy Theater is designed to mimic the original intimate venue that its patrons have loved for three decades.

While most of the ARTISTE MONET and KL PROFILE fixtures are used in the Smith Grand Theater, which features a nearly 100% Elation rig, in the Lindsay Theater, most of the lighting was repurposed from the original Orem facility and supplemented with the FUZE PENDANT house lights and a few of the ARTISTE MONETs and KL PROFILEs.

Multiple Angles
In the Smith Grand Theater, catwalks and the lighting rig encircle the stage in multiple tiers, with an inner ring and outer ring of lights. Michael Gray’s goal in creating his initial lighting rep plot, Anderson says, was to hit every point on stage from at least four angles. “The way we light our shows is different from a traditional proscenium setup. In theater-in-the-round, you need to light the stage from multiple angles to ensure every point is covered. That also increased the number of fixtures we needed,” Anderson added, stating that it is often hard to predict what specific lighting positions will be needed.

A Busy Schedule
The Ruth installed the Elation lights themselves, completing the setup just before Ragtime, the first play in the Smith Grand Theater, opened on December 20th. The theaters maintain a packed schedule, with performances running Monday through Saturday and up to four shows staged daily. Cinderella plays in the Lindsay Legacy Theater until May 3, while Jersey Boys opened on March 28 in the Smith Grand Theater.

Anderson concludes with a word of praise for the Elation team. “They were fantastic to work with and bent over backward to help make the project a success. Nick Saiki’s technical and artistic expertise were especially helpful, and William Irwin’s support throughout was instrumental. They make a great team.”

The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater has quickly established itself as a premier performing arts venue. With an Elation lighting system enhancing the experience, the venue is poised to deliver top-class productions for years to come.

About Elation 
At Elation, we represent the elite in the lighting industry. We design and manufacture a comprehensive range of best-in-class entertainment lighting products valued by production/rental houses and lighting designers worldwide. Our dedication to extraordinary quality and creative solutions has established us as the go-to choice for professionals. With a storied legacy of brilliance, our influence extends from iconic stages to cutting-edge studios across the globe. We also offer an advanced line of lighting control products through Obsidian Control Systems, and a full range of dependable specialty effects called Magmatic.