Curtains: Several points here.
About 90% of the curtain projects we bid on are spec'd by the architect as Un-lined. this is because of a mixture of economics and the fact that most act
curtains do not need a
lining if the correct fabric and
fullness are chosen in the first place.
The purposes of a
lining are to provide complete opacity from back light and to provide mechanical protection from injury from scenery, lights and talent. A
lining will also reduce, but not eliminate, the amount of "wind billow" from air currents from
HVAC or talent and crew moving behind the curtain. Mechanical protection and resistance to wind or air motion are very valid reasons for a
lining.
Opacity: If lighting instruments are showing through a main drape, than they must be in full view when the curtain is open. Move the lights. If you have unusually bright sources behind the curtain then perhaps a
lining is in order. Changing to a heavier weight material is almost always less expensive than a
lining. This is due to the fact that you have added 33% to 100% additional fabric (even if it is a cheaper fabric, it adds up) and almost doubled the labor costs of sewing. The reason for the varying % of additional fabric is that a
lining is sewn without
fullness and is actually only sewn directly to the main curtain along the
webbing. For a 100% full curtain a
lining would be an additional 33.3% fabric, for a
flat sewn curtain (many legs and borders) it would be 100% additional. A
lining is attached by tabs sewn at intervals into the seams and loose along the bottom.
Now to the case at
hand. The curtain for the OP is a
Guillotine operated front curtain, approximately 17'H x 34' wide. Because of the
guillotine action, a
lining is a poor choice. When descending, the
lining will tend to catch air, causing both the main and the
lining billow, up and
down stage.
Even though it "could" be a single panel, I would advise two panels as that would allow a
speaker, announcer or talent to be "paged" through the center without having to raise the entire curtain. It also allows for the future possibility of adding a
track to the main pipe and using the same curtain.
Fullness: The single most common
fullness spec'd by architects and found in medium and small stages (like the one in this case) across the country, is 50%
fullness. That means for a curtain 34' wide, the panel will be 51' wide before pleating.
i.e. 34' x 50% = 17'. 17' + 34' = 51' or 50%
fullness. At curtain heights 20' or less, there is minimal "flattening" toward the bottom as the curtain hangs. Whether or not an additional 25%
fullness will be worth the additional cost is simply up to the end user, but strictly IMHO, I do not believe so in this case. First, look at the curtain you have now. What is it's fulness? Is it OK or would it look better with more
fullness? Want to see what it would look like with more
fullness? Take a couple of hours on a dark weekend and untie 3 or 4 feet at one end and re-tie slightly bunched up to create "sort of" the
effect of the greater fulness. Then, get a quote for both
fullness's and decide for yourself.......Oh yeah, don't for get to tie it back before you leave!
Now for the fabric: In a small
community theatre, the odds of having the
goods re-treated in 5 or even 10 years, are non-existent. So, an
IFR, Inherently Flame Resistant, is the choice, hands down. What weight of fabric? Fabric weight is measured by the weight in ounces of 1 running yard of the material on the
bolt, NOT by the square yard, so it can be slightly misleading. Example a 13 oz Plateau has a tad
bit more
thickness and pile than 15oz
encore because the
encore comes in a slighter wider width. If you are one of the few that keeps
purchase and product data, check that for the original fabric weight and/or
fullness. If not, see if you can find a label with fabric weight or the original supplier/manufacturer, contact them to see if they still have records. If you can find any information on the existing
goods, look at it, decide if it is adequate, more than enough or not enough.
Color??? Probably the most controversial issue for any group. If you have a committee of 3 there will be at least 5 choices, and the peanut
gallery will all have their own thoughts. Schools often have a big advantage here--- Go with the school colors! Some obvious thoughts, match or contrast the: 1. seats 2. walls 3.
Proscenium 4. Carpet 6. Favorite color of the daughter who's dad is donating the $$ for the curtain. I think I've made my
point, color is purely subjective. No one here can really help you. If you get involved in having to choose, we CAN pray for you.
In any case, for this use, my suggestion would be to go with at least a 20oz Crescent but a 24 oz Charisma would be, IMHO, my first choice. Hope this helps.
