Procraft Media was brought in directly by the school to serve as the design-build integrator for a full system refresh. Over a compressed summer installation window, Procraft designed, engineered, and implemented a modern AV infrastructure across the main theater, the Black Box Theater, and a range of back-of-house and classroom spaces, transforming the PAC into a facility capable of meeting the demands of the school and the expectations of its community.
The
Brief
Procraft Media served as the Audio Visual Integrator — and the design-build partner of record — for a comprehensive AV system refresh at the Performing Arts Center of St. Margaret's Episcopal School in Orange County, California. Originally constructed in 2012, the PAC required a full modernization to bring its aging infrastructure in line with current AV over IP standards. Procraft worked directly with the school to scope, design, and execute upgrades across the main theater, Black Box Theater, back-of-house support spaces, and several standalone classrooms — delivering a facility-wide system that reflects both the institution's high standards and the expectations of its community.
Completed: Summer 2024
Role: Audio Visual Integrator (Design-Build)
Spaces: Main Theater, Black Box Theater, Back of House, Dressing Rooms, Green Rooms, Production Shop, Classrooms
Client: St. Margaret's Episcopal School — Direct
The CHALLENGE
The core challenge was one of compressed time and institutional complexity. Because St. Margaret's is a private school with year-round programming the work had to be completed during a narrow summer window while students remained on campus. Initially planned around differential shift hours, Procraft ultimately negotiated full site access for approximately 85 days, during which the team had to strip out an aging system, design and install a new AV over IP infrastructure, rig new speaker clusters at height, and coordinate with the school's electrical contractor to support fully-powered loudspeakers throughout the space. A late-stage pivot in the main PA system — from the originally specified product to a Meyer Sound solution — required rapid vendor vetting, live demos at an existing installation, and a full re-engineering of the loudspeaker package mid-project.
project summary
The completed system replaced the theater's original audio platform with a Meyer Sound PA centered around custom-rigged cluster arrays and a catwalk-mounted sub array — all engineered to serve both the main theater and the adjacent Black Box. Dante-based audio networking and AV over IP video matrixing now route signals seamlessly across the entire PAC, including dressing rooms, green rooms, the production shop, and classrooms. The school's single AV technician — formerly burdened with weekly reboots and complex routing workarounds — now operates the facility through a streamlined control layer with intuitive patching and reliable performance. The result is a performing arts center that delivers a professional-grade experience worthy of the school's reputation and the investment of its donors and families.
Read the full case study here.