WSDG Transforms Sound At Bar Harbor’s Historic The 1932 Criterion Theatre

WSDG has completed the first phase of a major technical upgrade at The 1932 Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, Maine. Working alongside systems integrator Stone Mountain Systems, WSDG designed a new sound reinforcement system and supporting AV infrastructure that significantly improved the audience experience while respecting the character of this historic Art Deco venue.

Built in 1932 and located on Bar Harbor’s Main Street, the Criterion has served the community for almost a century, hosting films, theatrical productions, concerts and other live events. Today, the theatre is entering a new chapter under the stewardship of Stephen and Allison Sullens, founders of the nonprofit Harper House Music Foundation, which took over ownership and is leading the venue’s revitalization. Their focus is on preserving the Criterion’s historic identity while strengthening its role as a cultural hub and expanding the quality and range of programming it can support.

The theater’s sound system had required a comprehensive upgrade for many years. Its previous configuration could not provide the coverage, output or consistency needed for contemporary productions, with the most significant limitations experienced on the balcony. The former main loudspeaker system was ground-stacked on the elevated stage, making it difficult to direct sound effectively toward every part of the audience.

WSDG began by conducting an acoustic and electroacoustic evaluation of the auditorium, taking measurements throughout the room and assessing the requirements of its varied programming. The first phase prioritized the sound reinforcement system and AV infrastructure, creating a modern technical foundation capable of supporting theatrical productions as well as rock, pop, country and other nationally touring live acts.

“The Criterion is a jewel of Bar Harbor and a venue with a remarkable history, so the objective was not simply to install a larger sound system,” says Jonathan Bickoff, Senior Partner at WSDG and Project Manager for the Criterion Theatre upgrade. “We needed to understand how the room was performing, provide the coverage and output required by today’s productions and create an infrastructure that could support the theater’s next chapter. This first phase establishes that foundation while preserving the character that makes the Criterion so special.”

At the heart of the upgrade is a newly configured L-Acoustics KARA II line array system. The design expanded the number of loudspeaker enclosures on each side of the stage and introduced additional central subwoofers, front fills and dedicated under-balcony loudspeakers.

Flying the main arrays above the stage allows the system to focus its energy more accurately toward the audience, delivering greater consistency and intelligibility across the main floor and the balcony.

“The previous ground-stacked system could not be aimed effectively at every part of the audience because of the height and position of the stage,” explains WSDG’s Acoustics and AV Systems Engineer, Connor Martin. “Flying the new arrays gave us much greater control over how sound was distributed throughout the room. Achieving that safely within a nearly century-old structure required close coordination between WSDG, Stone Mountain Systems and the structural engineer.”

Stone Mountain Systems, a longstanding WSDG collaborator on projects throughout Maine, was recommended to the theater to support system integration, prepare installation documentation and complete the installation. Noah Cole led the company’s design work, while Pat O’Donnell oversaw the onsite installation team.

One of the project’s most demanding elements was developing a safe rigging solution for the flown arrays. A large HVAC duct occupied the ceiling area directly above the required loudspeaker positions, restricting both the available attachment points and physical access.

Stone Mountain Systems worked with WSDG and structural engineer Timothy Dean of LeMessurier to create a custom trapeze-style support structure. Heavy-duty, back-to-back channels were secured to the building’s structural beams, with threaded rods supporting an additional channel beneath the HVAC duct and transferring the loudspeaker loads around the obstruction.

“The rigging was particularly challenging because the HVAC duct was positioned directly where the support points needed to be,” says Cole. “Working collaboratively with WSDG and LeMessurier, we developed a solution that allowed us to navigate the obstruction and suspend the system safely. It was one of the more complex rigging challenges we have encountered, but the coordination between the design, engineering and installation teams enabled the work to proceed smoothly.”

Alongside the loudspeaker system, the project introduced modern production, routing and control infrastructure. Stone Mountain Systems supplied and installed DiGiCo Quantum225 console packages for the front-of-house and monitor positions, replacing equipment based around an aging analog workflow. New digital snakes and digital routing provide greater flexibility for visiting engineers and the theater’s technical team.

The system is also built around a Q-SYS control platform, with an onstage touchscreen allowing the technical team to select and manage different operating modes according to the type of event taking place.

Completing the work within the theater’s active performance calendar added another layer of complexity. The installation was delivered during an accelerated nine-day window ahead of the summer season, requiring careful coordination of equipment deliveries, rigging, installation, commissioning and staff preparation. The venue’s location in coastal Maine also required detailed logistical planning between all the parties involved in this project.

The improvement was immediately apparent, particularly in areas that had previously received limited coverage. Feedback from audiences has described the difference as “night and day”, with sound now reaching and surrounding listeners throughout the auditorium.

Dave Cook, FOH engineer for Natalie Merchant, mixed several shows at The Criterion this summer. “I was so impressed when I walked in and saw the installation, but I was even more impressed when I listened to it,” he says. “Right from the start, it sounded perfect. I didn’t touch the EQ or any tuning of the system at all. It didn’t need it. When I was told WSDG was behind the design and install, it made perfect sense why it was one of the best systems I’ve ever mixed on. They did a great job!”

Courtney Sale, Executive Director of The 1932 Criterion Theatre, shares a similar sentiment: “When I first heard music through the new system, I teared up because it felt as though we were in a new building. The Criterion has always been a beautiful venue, and we used to say that there was not a bad seat in the house visually. Now that is true sonically as well. The sound reaches and envelops the entire auditorium, including the seats on the balcony, and it has elevated everything we do.”

The sound reinforcement system and AV infrastructure represent the first stage of a broader, multi-phase program of improvements. Future phases are expected to explore additional room-acoustic, architectural and aesthetic upgrades, helping the Criterion continue to welcome audiences and artists while preserving its historic character for generations to come.

“When Allison and I took over the Criterion, we became caretakers of something that belongs to Mount Desert Island and its communities, not to us,” says Stephen Sullens, Founder & President of Harper House Music Foundation. “Our intention has been to protect what makes this building special while giving it the tools to thrive for another hundred years. A theatre this beautiful deserves to sound as good as it looks, and the artists who come here deserve a system that lets them do their best work. WSDG understood that from the first conversation, and together with Stone Mountain Systems, they delivered something extraordinary. This is only the first chapter, and we couldn't be more excited about what comes next for the Criterion and its community."

“Meeting Stephen [Sullens] and becoming part of the story of this very special theater has been an honor for all of us at WSDG,” concludes John Storyk, Founding Partner of WSDG. “The Criterion now joins a long list of venues we have had the privilege to work on, with the shared goal of bringing the highest quality audio and acoustics to their patrons. We are very proud to have contributed to this next chapter in the theater’s remarkable history.”

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