Another concern beyond the valid ones of heat and time would be the
blocking of the
stage that a
ground row of some sort might have on the first rows of the audience. Could be possible but if you don't know the
stage, it could also be tricky to do. A 3" gap as long as the scenery is flame treated should be sufficient if you use a
ground row or scenic
element. As I remember that
play - great
play, there is a bunch of acting done on the
stage floor. Talent blocked by the
Cyc light, even
ground row or scenery
masking it to anyone in the audience would be a bad thing.
Believe last time I saw the
play it was on a raked
stage - one with many levels/rocks
etc. but a definate
rake to it which the actors enjoyed in adding to their fealt uncomfort with the material in getting into their roles. Such a raked
stage while it takes a lot of effort in design and even more still in install especially if multi-level, could be more feasible in
masking the lighting.
Mini or better yet Micro
cyc lights a possibility? Smaller in size often possible to do in 18" sections seperated by cables and in the micro type easier to seperate up into masked set designed elements.
Otherwise perhaps some 3"
Fresnel Inkies,
PAR 20 or
PAR/MR-16 fixtures with barn doors? If not
LED of various
wash or
cyc version that could get smaller yet but have that soft
wash beam spread? Could get a bunch of punch out of any of them, the
filament types would need frosting, the
LED might seem a
bit cold or less lively but they might be possible.
Another option might be to do MR-16
track light fixtures of some sort. (As long as safely and properly done as a "
practical" or special
fixture.) Install the
track light on the
stage (or on blocks to stabilize it),
plug it in and install the mini-fixtures such as gimbal ring versions as if
down stage microphones and hope nobody takes offense to them. Should disappear fairly well on
stage out of
stage convention - they are there but not there. The
track itself can be individual short sections of
track seperated by cords or one long length plugged together either of which would virtually disappear on the
stage deck. Such fixtures are often very small if of certain styles and available 75
Watt, 60 degree EYC type MR-16 lamps at 12v which perhaps with some
gel and barn doors could both
wash and keep tight the
effect. (Realizing you would need a
transformer and the
track lighting equipment, if not modify the fixtures or better yet - recommended get someone qualified to
wire them in series without the
transformer. Should be fairly simple but would not be possible to use them on the
track light bar - they would have to become individual fixtures that are wired in series and that would get a
bit more tricky but feasible.) MR-16 lamps in low
voltage have lamp life problems when dimmed but not so much that they would not survive a few productions. Wiring in series seems to remove this
halogen effect low
voltage dimming problem. Otherwise, 150w/120v MR-16 lamps in 60 degree are also availble in the standard GX/GY-5.3
base. This in addition to some home center grade GX-7.9 and GU-10 lamp
base type, 120v lamps on the market with a 40 to 50 degree beam spread and fairly high 50
Watt lamp.
Track lighting has different types of lamp bases to them. Often the home center type
track lighting these days will only be available in the 120v
line voltage type which uses the different lamp
base so as to prevent low
voltage lamps installed into it. There are not as many varieties of cheaper home center type
track light lamp as a true/normal GX-5.3 MR-16
base lamp in style companies like Juno offer fixtures using. This including even MR-16 colored
lens lamps for the GX-5.3
base style. Such a
base is normally low
voltage but there is 120v versions available. Low
voltage track lighting would also be beneficial on
stage decks due to its lower
voltage. On the other
hand, home center grade fixtures can have their lamp bases changed fairly easily, or in any case are often sold very inexpensively if not amongst a discontinued style that is dirt cheap.
Is it possible to fence off part of the audience sides to do low angle audience box booms? Otherwise low angle side
stage shin buster in
key light mode when needed?