Results 1 to 7 of 7
Torms or not to torms, is being discussed in the ControlBooth Stage Management and Facility Operations forum; After 19 years here at TFAC, I'm thinking it would be best to remove our torms and just use leg ...

  1. #1


    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Western North Carolina Foothills
    Occupation
    Technical Director
    Posts
    111
    Thanks
    20
    Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts

    Default Torms or not to torms,

    After 19 years here at TFAC, I'm thinking it would be best to remove our torms and just use leg curtains for the side masking at the downstage location. These "things" were here when I got here and the unusual thing is that they are fastened to the deck, they are not movable. Has anyone else ever run into this? I thought about making them movable with track or a wheeled platform. Interestingly though, no one from the local community theater group has ever asked me to make the stage smaller, just bigger. These "torms" are actually set on the sight line about 2'-4" upstage of the plaster line. So the working stage width is smaller than the 31' - 10" width of the proscenium opening (29'-10"). To do this I am going to loose my hard teaser (about 1'-7" upstage of plaster line) We almost never make the opening shorter (proscenium height is 12'-9") Again, no one ever ask for shorter, just open it up as much as we can.

    Since the local theater group is using our space less and less, we (TFAC) are booking in more acts and they always ask for as much space as we can give them.

    So, politics with the theater group aside, am I thinking this through logically? Does anyone else have curtains instead of torms in their space?
    Jimm Brink
    Technical Director
    Tryon Fine Arts Center, Inc.
    Owner: Alchemist Stage Design
    "Me?, I'm just here for the food..."

  2. #2
    Senior Team  Premium Member 
    derekleffew's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Las Vegas, NV, USA
    Occupation
    Academician/Pedantist
    Posts
    5,460
    Thanks
    256
    Thanked 957 Times in 780 Posts

    Blog Entries
    4

    Default

    By "torms" do you mean "hard legs" (flat frames covered in velour)? I like the hard lines created by a portal, but would object if the opening weren't adjustable.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Good authors too who once knew better words, Now only use four letter words, Writing prose.

  3. #3


    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Western North Carolina Foothills
    Occupation
    Technical Director
    Posts
    111
    Thanks
    20
    Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts

    Thread Starter

    Default Re: Torms or not to torms,

    Quote Originally Posted by derekleffew View Post
    By "torms" do you mean "hard legs" (flat frames covered in velour)? I like the hard lines created by a portal, but would object if the opening weren't adjustable.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Yes they are a wooden framescovered by black daizian fabric. can't stand the non-movable aspect.... I get groups that want all legs set to the width of the proscenium but then have to remind them about the smaller Torm distance... then they think I'm nuts not being able to move them.... really frustrating....
    Jimm Brink
    Technical Director
    Tryon Fine Arts Center, Inc.
    Owner: Alchemist Stage Design
    "Me?, I'm just here for the food..."

  4. #4
    Senior Team  Premium Member 
    Footer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Saratoga Springs, NY
    Occupation
    Production Coordinator
    Posts
    7,604
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 537 Times in 431 Posts

    Default Re: Torms or not to torms,

    I'm not really a fan of any built in hard masking unless it slides out from the proscenium. If you can put in the rigging to support proper goods, do it. You have a very small stage, the more of it you can use the better.
    Kyle Van Sandt
    Production Coordinator
    The Egg
    Van Sandt Designs

    "Pull rope, push box, push button, get a banana."

  5. #5


    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Western NC
    Occupation
    Lights, set building
    Posts
    388
    Thanks
    89
    Thanked 11 Times in 7 Posts

    Default Re: Torms or not to torms,

    I have side curtains on tracks on both sides of the stage. I put up tracks on both sides just outside of the batten range.

    So I have 30' of proscenium opening with 40' battens. The curtain tracks are at 6-7' from the proscenium opening.

  6. #6


    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Calgary, AB, Canada
    Occupation
    Freelancer
    Posts
    144
    Thanks
    12
    Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts

    Default Re: Torms or not to torms,

    We have a tracking system of "hard" legs that slide in tracks in the floor. No idea how they attach to the roof, but the floor just have a groove that they stay in. To my knowledge, they work well enough.

  7. #7
    len
    len is offline


    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Chicagoland
    Occupation
    President/Owner
    Posts
    2,323
    Thanks
    29
    Thanked 76 Times in 69 Posts

    Default Re: Torms or not to torms,

    If you're getting complaints from a lot of customers/users then by all means, get rid of them. Pure and simple.
    http://www.chicagolightingdesign.com
    "I don't feel it's healthy to keep your faults bottled up inside me." - Bucky Katt

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •