How to Make a Stage in a configurable theatre

[SteveMcQueen]

Hello everyone:

We are about to move into our new facilities, consisting of 3 theatre spaces. All of these spaces were made to be configurable, so we can do thrust, proscenium, or in the round. Seating is on movable risers. We will have to make a stage per show needs. As we are starting our first production we need to plan a stage. How would you all go about making a stage. If we just want a 8’’ stage lets say, is it simply 4x8 wooden platforms with plywood and mansonite. Quick math shows we will need about 60 platforms to make this work. Is it better to frame with metal? My idea is to have a stock of platforms and have different size legs in stock, just 4x4s maybe. Does anyone else have a theatre situation like this? What do you do? Thanks

Steve

 

[Van]

One configuration I used for years was to build what are called, in the Portland area, "Raker Boxes". Basically a 12" x 6" x 8" or or 16" or 18" or 24". The middle of the the box has an internal support, to keep it square. You can then stack either Triscuits or deck on top of the boxes with the boxes spanning the corners of the platforms, or for larger loads one box under each corner. Pre-drill a hole in the corners of your triscuits and you can run a screw down into the block fir further stability.

 

[RonHebbard]

Hello everyone:

We are about to move into our new facilities, consisting of 3 theatre spaces. All of these spaces were made to be configurable, so we can do thrust, proscenium, or in the round. Seating is on movable risers. We will have to make a stage per show needs. As we are starting our first production we need to plan a stage. How would you all go about making a stage. If we just want a 8’’ stage lets say, is it simply 4x8 wooden platforms with plywood and mansonite. Quick math shows we will need about 60 platforms to make this work. Is it better to frame with metal? My idea is to have a stock of platforms and have different size legs in stock, just 4x4s maybe. Does anyone else have a theatre situation like this? What do you do? Thanks

Steve

@SteveMcQueen Google "modular stages" and the world will beat a path to your door. You're not alone. Many facilities are in your situation.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

I generally don't think of a flexible space having a raised stage but rather the seating is steeply raked and floor is the stage. There might be platforms like any set but the floor is stage level.

How high is overhead, pipe grid or whatever?

 

[SteveMcQueen]

I agree, but the floor is concrete. The building used to be a department store, and we are in the warehouse part, with concrete floor. They didn’t want to paint the floor, or dance on concrete, and I would really miss having something to screw into. They were thinking of having general stages that we store between shows (flat, raked, with a pit, trapped door) with different size legs. In our main space that will have a concrete floor, we have line sets that will rest about 28’ high, while over the audience will have a grid that will land at about 22’ high. Our middle sized space will have a ‘custom acoustic floor” which I can screw into, and the smaller space and rehearsal hall will have a sprung floor. Won’t screw into those, but really need to in our main space. We are coming from a 89 seat space that does not have a raised stage, and would screw right into.

 

[kicknargel]

To blend the idea of letting the floor be the stage, but dealing with the concrete floor: in a similar situation in a black box, we laid down a layer of "rug grip" rubber pad, then two layers of 3/4" ply, staggered so they could screw together, then tempered hardboard. Made a great deck.

If you want to have a raised, configurable stage, I'd consider either "Trisucuits" (wood, stress-skinned) or "Texas Triscuits," (steel-framed) and studwalls. (a'la Technical Design Solutions vol. 2)

Regular 2x4 platforms and legs will work and be the cheapest. Trades offs are ease of installation, difficulty in leveling, and squeaks.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Trades offs are ease of installation, difficulty in leveling, and squeaks.

And the drumming noise.

 

[Aaron Caldwell]

Regular 2x4 platforms and legs will work and be the cheapest. Trades offs are ease of installation, difficulty in leveling, and squeaks.

Not to mention the pain of trying to store a host of 2x4 platforms, associated legs, and hardware!

Steve - What area size are you dealing with for each theater space?

 

[SteveMcQueen]

The main space will have a stage size of about 60’ x 28’. With 2x4 platforms, that’s over 200 platforms and over 800 legs to store. That’s a little out of our range. I’m going to suggest laying down 2-3 layers of ply, then a hardboard top. Platforms will have to be made as needed, but I think the whole stage being a platform is out of the question. Not to mention the ramps need to get to whatever height and roll these taller heavier set pieces on.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

I have done permanent stage floors in renovation projects where thresholds and such are a problem. Pretty satisfied with 1x4 sleepers 12" OC and 3/4" plyron. With Robertson head screws I could see this being done in a way to make it semi-modular.

Good surface, better than no resilience. Fine for drama and music, not great for dance.

 

[DRU]

One configuration I used for years was to build what are called, in the Portland area, "Raker Boxes". Basically a 12" x 6" x 8" or or 16" or 18" or 24". The middle of the the box has an internal support, to keep it square. You can then stack either Triscuits or deck on top of the boxes with the boxes spanning the corners of the platforms, or for larger loads one box under each corner. Pre-drill a hole in the corners of your triscuits and you can run a screw down into the block fir further stability.

Don't triscuits need support along the entire edge perpendicular to the face grain? I like the Raker Box idea, but as you described it, putting support in the corners only doesn't fully support the non-strong edge of a triscuit.

 

[Van]

Don't triscuits need support along the entire edge perpendicular to the face grain? I like the Raker Box idea, but as you described it, putting support in the corners only doesn't fully support the non-strong edge of a triscuit.

Quite the opposite, Original testing of the "triscuit" configuration showed that while being supported at the corners only, a standard, <nom> 4'x4' triscuit could easily support a six hundred pound load in it's center. I don't remember all the specifics of the testing data but it can be found in the original documents on their construction at Yale. If I can find the Link I'll post it.
The "Raker Block" was originally used here in Portland for building Raked decks for the Portland Opera. They were used under a platform system that was made up of, get this, 6'x8' 5/4 X 6 mahogany framed 3/4" plywood covered platforms. The platforms had 1x2 1/2 T&G configuration around the perimeter. The edges of the 1x material was radius-ed to ease assembly. Always had to have a skinny guy on crew to crawl under and c-clamp them together.

 

[Van]

Quite the opposite, Original testing of the "triscuit" configuration showed that while being supported at the corners only, a standard, <nom> 4'x4' triscuit could easily support a six hundred pound load in it's center. I don't remember all the specifics of the testing data but it can be found in the original documents on their construction at Yale. If I can find the Link I'll post it.
The "Raker Block" was originally used here in Portland for building Raked decks for the Portland Opera. They were used under a platform system that was made up of, get this, 6'x8' 5/4 X 6 mahogany framed 3/4" plywood covered platforms. The platforms had 1x2 1/2 T&G configuration around the perimeter. The edges of the 1x material was radius-ed to ease assembly. Always had to have a skinny guy on crew to crawl under and c-clamp them together.

I should point out that the original specification for Triscuits calls for them to be supported by "stud walls" or Pony Walls. In my experience, using Stud walls was a perfect way to build rakes or weird, oddly contorted stage surfaces, then the triscuits can be covered in any other material. to cover their square corners etc. but supporting them by the corners was more than sufficient for standard loads.

 

[DRU]

Quite the opposite, Original testing of the "triscuit" configuration showed that while being supported at the corners only, a standard, <nom> 4'x4' triscuit could easily support a six hundred pound load in it's center. I don't remember all the specifics of the testing data but it can be found in the original documents on their construction at Yale. If I can find the Link I'll post it.

I ask because every publication I've read concerning triscuits say there must be continuous support on the side that is perpendicular to the grain because the only support for it is 5/4 at 1" wide instead of the 2" wide pieces that run parallel with the grain.

The "Raker Block" was originally used here in Portland for building Raked decks for the Portland Opera. They were used under a platform system that was made up of, get this, 6'x8' 5/4 X 6 mahogany framed 3/4" plywood covered platforms. The platforms had 1x2 1/2 T&G configuration around the perimeter. The edges of the 1x material was radius-ed to ease assembly. Always had to have a skinny guy on crew to crawl under and c-clamp them together.

I worked at a place that, only for a small stage downstairs, used 2x6 framed platforms with 3/4" ply as the lid, with a layer of 3/4" MDF on top, with ANOTHER layer of 1/4" Maso on top. We only had to move them twice: beginning of season, and end of season, but they were beasts.

 

[Van]

I ask because every publication I've read concerning triscuits say there must be continuous support on the side that is perpendicular to the grain because the only support for it is 5/4 at 1" wide instead of the 2" wide pieces that run parallel with the grain.



I worked at a place that, only for a small stage downstairs, used 2x6 framed platforms with 3/4" ply as the lid, with a layer of 3/4" MDF on top, with ANOTHER layer of 1/4" Maso on top. We only had to move them twice: beginning of season, and end of season, but they were beasts.

I always preferred to use "pony walls" or "knee walls" or "short Stud wall's" depending on you're geographic vernacular. Especially for a long term install or for larger casts/musicals.