Par. 1. - Summer theatres, if built without the building limits, and located thirty feet distant from any other building or structure or adjoining lot lines, and of no greater seating capacity than seven hundred and fifty persons, and not more than one story high, without balconies, or galleries, may be constructed as follows: -

Par. 2. - The auditorium, without a cellar or basement, with open sides of double the number of exits as hereinbefore provided, opening directly into the surrounding courts or gardens at the grade level, and the adjoining dressing rooms, may be of wooden construction, but the stage shall be enclosed in brick walls not less than twelve inches thick, or shall be plastered on metal lathing throughout: provided, that the openings leading to the dressing rooms shall be provided with fire doors.

Par. 3. - Otherwise, all protective features and arrangements shall comply with all previous sections of this title.

Section 111. Existing Theatres

Stairs - Stairways

Par. 1. - All stairs of theatres shall have throughout proper hand-rails on both sides firmly secured to walls or to strong posts and balusters. Stairways twelve feet or more wide shall have one or more intermediate rails not more than eight feet apart and properly supported.

Heating Apparatus - Location

Par. 2. - No boiler, furnace, engine or heating apparatus, except steam, hot water or hot air pipes or radiators, shall be located under the auditorium nor under any passage or stairway or exit of any theatre.

Illuminated Exit Signs - Emergency Lights. Par. 3. - In every theatre there shall be over every exit, on the inside, and over every opening to a fire-escape, on the inside, an illuminated sign, bearing the word "exit" or "fire-escape," respectively, in letters not less than four inches high. An emergency arc light or its equivalent shall be installed in the auditorium, which light or lights, exit lights, and all lights in halls, corridors, or any part of the building used by the audience, except the general auditorium lighting, shall be fed independently of the stage lighting, and shall be controlled only from the lobby or other convenient place in the front of the house. Every exit sign shall be kept illuminated and every outside balcony and fire-escape shall be kept well lighted during the performance, except outside exits during a performance in the daytime and before sunset.

[1909, c. 313, sect. 1.]

Exits to Open Outward - Plans of Exits on Programs. Par. 4. - The exits and openings to fire-escapes of all theatres shall open outward and have fastenings on the inside only. They shall be unfastened during every performance and shall be so arranged that they can easily be opened from within. Plans showing the exits and stairways shall be legibly printed so as to occupy a full page of every programme or play-bill.

Temporary Seats

Par. 5. - No temporary seats or other obstructions shall be allowed in any aisle, or stairway of a theatre, and no person shall remain in any aisle, or stairway of any such building during any performance.

[1908, c. 336, sect. 1.]

Fire Curtain

Par. 6. - The proscenium or curtain opening of every theatre shall have a fire-resisting curtain of incombustible material, reinforced by wire netting, or otherwise strengthened. If of iron, or similar heavy material, and made to lower from the top, it shall be so arranged as to be stopped securely at a height of seven feet above the stage floor, the remaining opening being closed by a curtain or valance of fire-resisting fabric. The curtain shall be raised at the beginning and lowered at the end of every performance, and shall be of proper material, construction and mechanism.

Stage Ventilators

Par. 7. - There shall be one or more ventilators near the centre and above the highest part of the stage of every theatre, of a combined area of opening satisfactory to the building commissioner, and not less than one tenth of the area of the proscenium opening. Every such ventilator shall have a valve or louvre so counterbalanced as to open automatically, and shall be kept closed, when not in use, by a fusible link and cord reaching to the prompter's desk, or any other place easily reached from the stage level and readily operated therefrom. Such cord shall be of combustible material, and so arranged that if it is severed the ventilator will open automatically.

[1908, c. 336, sect. 1.]

Standpipes - Sprinklers

Par. 8. - There shall be at least two two-inch high-service standpipes on the stage of every theatre, with ample provision of hose nozzles at each level of the stage on each side, and the water shall be kept turned on during the occupation of the building by an audience. The said pipes shall in no case be sealed and shall have a gate and check valve and shall have a test valve placed between the gate valve and check valve. The proscenium opening of every theatre shall be provided with a two and one half inch perforated iron pipe or equivalent equipment of automatic or open sprinklers, as the commissioner may direct, so sonstructed as to form when in operation a complete water curtain for the whole proscenium opening and there shall be for the rest of the stage a complete system of fire apparatus and perforated iron pipes, automatic or open sprinklers. Such pipes or sprinklers shall be supplied with water by high pressure service, and shall be ready for use at all times.

[1908, c. 336, sect. l.]