'Help Us Fix the Roof'

Great musicians know that the rooms where they play have personalities — bright or dull or warm or clear. Great actors say the same thing about the theaters where they work. And when Kevin Spacey explains why he just became artistic director of London's Old Vic theater — and why he wants to rescue the splendid old place from the ravages of time — he talks about its acoustic character. "There are some theaters where an actor's voice goes out into a void," he says. "You can't feel where it's going, and therefore can't control how the performance is modulated. You...