The Tustin Studio Theatre suffered damage over the weekend of Nov. 5 after a flood occurred due to a broken pipe on the first floor of the building. Facilities placed a temporary fix on the pipe that had begun leaking two weeks prior to the flooding, but were waiting for more parts to come in. The air conditioning was turned on unbeknownst to those in the building, allowing water to come rushing through the gap in the broken pipe downstairs. No one was present when the flooding began and by the time it had been discovered, at least two inches of water had already filled the floor.

Fortunately, the Outdoor Education & Leadership Program gear, which resides in the building, is water-resistant and durable, so most of the damage control involved ensuring that the equipment dries. According to Director of Outdoor Education Tony Stafford, the biggest issue entails deciding whether or not to have a professional come in to clean the carpeted area.

Items from a handful of the companies in Management 101 classes endured some water damage.

The Department of Theatre & Dance also suffered losses with the damage of archived scripts and costumes. According to the technical coordinator for the department, Mark Hutchinson, dozens of coats and pairs of pants were sent to the dry cleaners, but the archives received a harder hit. “Records from early theatre productions, including some script notes from plays directed by Harvey M. Powers and alumni records collected by Betsy Powers on behalf the Association for the Arts have been damaged beyond repair,” Hutchinson said.

Stafford, along with other staff, spent multiple hours mopping up the water.