Under the direction of manager Caitlin Visel, the Uvalde (Texas) Grand Opera House has implemented a Pliant Technologies MicroCom M digital wireless intercom system to replace the previous system that had been in place for almost 40 years.
“I was instantly drawn to Pliant’s intercom offerings for its wireless capabilities,” says Visel. “Having a wireless intercom system has been a massive benefit as we can communicate with staff members throughout the entire building. Whether they’re with talent backstage, in the lobby collecting tickets or behind the bar making drinks, everyone can communicate seamlessly. Also, the affordability of the MicroCom M intercom helped to make Pliant the obvious choice for us.”
As the second oldest theatre in Texas, Visel needed a comms system that would cover an entire building with thick, concrete walls. When she realized that repairing the outdated system was beyond her budget, she began the search for a replacement, with the range of the MicroCom M system presenting an advantage.
“When I first began my search for a new intercom, I was worried that it would be difficult to find a system that could function throughout the building as there are obstructions, solid walls and high ceilings,” explains Visel. “During an onsite demo of the system, I was blown away by its extensive range. With MicroCom M, we’re able to communicate from all ends of the building without losing the signal — it’s really amazing.”
With the old system having heavy, metal belt packs and bulky headsets, it was extremely difficult to deploy so the staff ended up resorting to texting. However, due to the 129-year old brick structure, cell reception is unreliable in the theatre. “When we demoed Pliant’s MicroCom M, the compact size of its belt packs really stood out,” Visel says. “It’s like night-and-day compared to our previous system. The packs are compact and lightweight. You can drop it in your back pocket or wear it on a lanyard around your neck, which has been especially helpful as we staff a lot of women who often wear dresses to events.”
Uvalde purchased five Pliant MicroCom M beltpacks with the SmartBoom PRO headsets and plans to expand the system once productions are fully back up and running. The venue also added Pliant’s SmartBoom PRO single-ear headsets.
“With MicroCom M having a listen-only feature (with unlimited users), we want to get more packs and headsets for our freighters and stage managers,” Visel concludes. “Additionally, the single-ear noise cancelling headsets have been great for our purposes. For a comedy showcase we held in August, we had someone at the door taking everyone’s temperature and someone collecting tickets. They were able to hear all of our communication through one ear and all of the outside noise with the other ear, and it worked beautifully, even with everyone wearing a mask.”
