Double doors for Beauty and the Beast

cmbtch43

Member
I am trying to come up with a solution to problem of building a set of double doors for the exterior door for Beauty and the Beast. As the doors need to be in two sections, double sided for both exterior and interior doors and be easily moved, the usual method of door making isn't going to work as the doors are to butt up together without a jam in middle . I thought of making a 500mm wall section to sit in the middle of a 1200 x 500mm truck bolted onto truck and braced at one end then hanging the 9mm ply door onto that so when trucks are pushed together the create the effect of a medieval castle door. However with every good plan this one is now hindered with the need for a mob of 36 students to go rushing through the doors as they enter the "Castle". Building the doors as one unit on a 2400 truck is not an option as we have tiny wings and there would be no where to put them and I need to be able to use the interior doors in two seperate positions at same time. The obvious hazard is the students tripping over the truck as they go through doors.
I had thought of putting the wall section only on a small truck and attaching piece of ply on carpet slider under where the door hangs as extra support.
Anyone with any solutions would be appreciated. I have a fortnight before I need to get set into theatre and need to sort this ASAP.
 
I think your idea of two trucks with a door at the end of each is do able. Depends on the movement. Ideally there would be some positive mechanical lock above the doors to keep the two pieces from sliding/racking/tilting US/DS as everyone runs through. If you can't lock, then some kind of indexing pin.

I'm not sure how you'd use the two interior sides separately. You'd have a wall with a door floating on the end of it right? It would look kind of weird...
 
Interior sides will be set with one downstage R by curtain and first tab so effectively draped by blacks. The other, upper stage L again by tab so partially draped. Its how the Director wants it done. If I had the space I'd have preferred to have made it an all in one unit on truck that could just be turned around and brakes on it. Unfortunately stage is only 13m x 7 m and we have 2.5m x 2.5 m in wings. As we are having a platform running across back of stage that is 2m wide x 800mm high and 10m long with steps 1.2 m deep set infront in the middle I lose part of wings already for rear steps onto platform. We have a huge cast of nearly 90 kids just to add to the fun.
 
Yes I always add weights to my trucks to stop them tipping over. Doors weigh about 6.5 kg each. Going to try to assemble tonight.
 
Yes I always add weights to my trucks to stop them tipping over. Doors weigh about 6.5 kg each. Going to try to assemble tonight.
Don't forget to add photos of you creation please
 
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Sorry for the delay in posting these photos. Finally into theatre for tech run today. I mounted a 6.5kg lump of steel inside wall of each door and put a small block of 2x1 on base of door to give it something to rest on. I can't quite get the doors to butt up perfectly but they're reasonably good.
 

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