Eagle projects improve Beal auditorium
By Semira Brenchley
Staff writer
11-28-2019
MANTI—The Eva Beal Auditorium, located in the Manti City Building, was spruced up significantly this September thanks to the hard work of two local Scouts.
Josh Peterson, 18, and his brother, Ryan Peterson, 15, sons of Matthew and Jennie Peterson of Manti, worked to improve the facility for their Eagle Scout awards.
“Josh and Ryan have performed an excellent service for the city,” said Mayor Korry Soper. “The projects they have completed in the auditorium are wonderful improvements and will be enjoyed by the community for years to come.”
The Manti City Council toured the improvements last Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Joshua, who has a background in theater, revamped the stage, extending it by 6 feet. He was also able to get light fixtures working again and repositioned them to better illuminate the stage during performances.
With the help of Ben Harris, sound director at Snow College, and Kory Howard, theater teacher at Manti High, he replaced the old sound system with a new soundboard. He also built sets for the stage.
Ryan’s project was focused on giving the space a more open floor plan by removing some of the walls and creating a dedicating space for storage space. The city gave him permission to tear down two walls to create the storage room.
He sorted through and threw away junk that had accumulated in the auditorium. Then he organized costumes, props and small set pieces in the storage area. With the help of some friends, Ryan took apart set pieces that were too large for storage.
He used some of the wood from the deconstructed walls to build a new desk for the sound booth. He also added and restored chairs to the booth.
“I hope to see this space used more often and for more participation from the community in putting on and watching shows,” Josh said. “That room has a lot of history; it deserves to continue to offer classic Manti entertainment and make memories that will last lifetimes.”
