Hey look ! I used the Search feature and dredged up a thread from 4 years ago !
So Here's the deal. I was going to ask a question similar to the one that started this thread. How many people actually incorporate floor designs into thier sets? The recent post of pictures from the production of Cats got me thinking. I'm not bashing let me make that
clear, All that money on costumes, lights, makeup...... and a bare wood
stage floor ??????
In our
theatre, which is a black box, there is not a seat that is over 20 feet from the
stage. We would never get away with a bare floor, and God forbid a designer give me a drawing with a black floor !
So You can uderstand that I spend a LOT of time simply dealing with floor issues. Or present production "The Retreat From Moscow" is a really bizarre floor. It's all 4'x4' stress skins with one
edge 2 1/2" off the floor. Yes every 4x4 square is at the same angle, but they all slope in different directions, it's pretty cool. The original floor treatment was going to be Linoleum in the "kitchen" area a wood floor look in the "office" a wood floor and Persian Rug in the "Study" and Syn-Lawn grass in the "
Park" area, all the "no-mans land" between each quarter was to be industrial grade grey carpet. Well designer and Director changed minds or something and the designer decided to do a spattered paint treatment on the whole floor. Looks great, only one problem though, < I swear I'm getting around to the
point here some time soon>
in one scene the Mother, in a fit of rage overturns the kitchen table throwing bowls and spoons all over the floor. Ok we get greenware bowls so they break on impact, easy, however the table flips all the way over landing on top of the shattered bowls. If there are shards, which there are, they get
ground into the floor and table top. After one rehearsal there were tons of imbedded shards in the , moments ago, pristine Ash table top. Ok I can refinish a table top easily enough, I don't want to do it every freakin night but maybe once a week will do. The big thing is the floor! I've got Actors walking all over these shattered bowls for the rest of the show. Grinding every single peice of microscopic dried clay into the beautifully painted floor. My issue is this, to fix the floor is going to mean repainting the entire floor, as it's a
spatter treatment, at least once a week. Now, I've had similar problems with other sets, other floors. I've tried sealing floors with Roscos
clear acrylic
glaze, Future floor polish,
etc.
etc. What do you use ? How do you protect your floors?
I realize this may not be an issue for many of you working in High School and College theatres as youtypically have very short runs. I,however, typically have a seven week run, that is sometimes extended into 8 to 10 weeks. I hope this will stir up some good ideas and maybe we can all learn some stuff.
P.S. As a post script I'll also state that all costumers who refuse to put actors in non-marring soled shoes, or who refuse to add on "no-scuff" heels, should be shot. No not shot, that too easy, Drawn and quatered on a fly
rail! Yeah that's much better.