Groundcloth

[jessamarie6]

So I'm looking for some tips and tricks for using a groundcloth as a stage floor. We are taking a show into an outside venue, and instead of painting our floor directly as we usually do, we've been asked to create a groundcloth for the floor. The painting on it will be simple (just wood graining), but it's going to need to be pulled up and put back down multiple times during the run. The size needs to be approx 17'x32'. Anyone have any ideas? Are there paint treatments I should be aware of to prevent cracking and chipping? Anyone know a good supplier in the Chicago area? Anything I can do to minimize the appearance of and tripping hazard of seams?

Thanks

[Footer]

I did this a few years back using an old cyc. The big thing is, make sure it is all one piece. if you tack it down in the corners and pull it taught, you don't need to worry about it slipping. As far as the painting goes, I would assume using more of a dye based paint rather then a latex would be preferable. When I did this, I was not the one painting so I am not totally clear on that one.

[jwl868]

Are there any "winter guard" competition units in your area? (Winter guard is indoor color guard routine - lyrical-theatrical over-the-top dance routines that also twirl color guard flags and fake rifles.) Around here, they use some sort of heavy groundcloth big enough to cover a basketball court. Never any trouble with tripping etc, and these kids (high school age, most of them female) do a lot of dancing, leaping etc. The groundcloth is typically painted with some design. (Not sure of the material, but they all use the cloth. Each team lays out then folds up their own cloth for each preformance.)


Joe

[Clifford]

Joe, that's what I was going to suggest. However the guard at our school seems to use something that looks like it was a design printed on some sort of 3mm or 4mm plastic. It looks like something that would cost more than painting or dying an old cyc. It would, however, appear to be more robust. They get a whole year out of it sometimes.

-Clifford

[FatherMurphy]

Rose Brand has heavy canvas suitable for groundcloths, other suppliers probably have similar fabrics.

132" Canvas, 10.5 oz., Natural, NFR from Rose Brand

The one linked is 11' wide, so two lengths of it would cover your desired width, or perhaps three widths will cover the desired length. Find a canvas sewing shop (like a tent and awning company) and have them do the center seams. They can simply do a 1" overlap and double needle stitch it, and it'll lay flat and nearly unnoticeable.

I used to do scenery for a short-run outdoor summer theater, a couple of years we did groundcloths over the platforms to get a smooth surface for painting. I'd cover the deck with plastic (rain barrier), lay out the canvas somewhat loose, staple down the edges, and paint it with exterior latex. The paint would size the fabric, the exterior aspect of the paint would repel rain, and all was well. I don't know how well this would hold up under repeated foldings, but the new fabric with one heavy base coat with spatters and glazes didn't degrade much either in use, or from being pulled up and taken back to the shop.

One year, I let the local canvas shop talk me into a vinyl impregnated canvas (it was cheap). This didn't work as well - the vinyl coating had a much greater thermal expansion/contraction problem than raw canvas, and it kept pulling up the staples on cold nights. I finally had to glue and screw 1/4" plywood strips along the ends, partially wrecking the smoothness we were desiring.

Operas often do groundcloths, especially for rep seasons. I've seen them laid out and then just tacked down with small, wide headed nails. As long as there's no wrinkles, trip hazard is minimal. Wagons rolling across a cloth might be a 'wave' issue, though, as they tend to press loose fabric ahead of them.