Our set is in the way!

[mjw56]

I have been kicking this problem around in my head for a few days and cant seem to make everyone involved pleased. This may get a little long so please bear with me.

The circumstances:
We are putting on Arsenic and Old Lace this fall but are having many conflicts with using the stage. the proscenium is 38' wide x 18' high. The stage is 25' deep, with a 6' deep structure DS of the back wall, reducing the effective depth to 19'. Wings are 15' wide x 25' deep (minus some obstructions such as duct work and stairwells). The set for the show (pdf attached) is 33'wide x 15' deep. The set is being constructed from stock 4'x8' panels we have from the last show so that major investment is taken care of. I can suspend things from the grid and do short lifts but there is no flyspace.

The Problem:
The stage is rented to an Irish dance troop which is very large, every monday night through june, and the schools open house is 2 days before tech week starts. The various bands and other arts events need the stage space for open house. The set is an issue in both cases because it disrupts so much space.
As usual budget is really tight. just to give you the idea of how tight; i need 150$ for some 2x4's, 1x3's and a sheet of ply, ive been asking for it for weeks, and they wont give it to me. I've told the AHJ that i can assemble the set into large pieces with lots of temp. bracing, and assemble it last minute but it would require more bracing, which means more money. Also the director wants to be able to put the students on set for blocking as fast as i can build it.

I just need to know if anyone has any ideas on how to make the set "collapsible" and be able to quickly dress the seems after it is re-assembled. Once open house is over the set can be fixed in place. i was thinking of lift jacks after seeing the recent post about them but that's just as expensive as tons of bracing and dragging the pieces around.

Thanks for your help.

 

[jstroming]

Your 3 CAD drawings are pro enough that if you can't get 150 bucks for some stupid lumber than we all should be re-evaluating our priorities.

Your in pennsauken. To be honest with you I have no idea where that is but if you can make it up to secaucus in the next few days that wood is yours, I'd love to make a connection with you. Please send me a PM.

 

[Tex]

Off-topic, but where's the window seat? That's a pretty prominent feature in Arsenic...

 

[mjw56]

Its just not there. Considering my budget i cant wait to see how crazy elaborate the director wants the window seat to be.

 

[misterm]

i know its not the best solution and certainly not ideal, but i usually have to buy stuff on my own dime when the budget runs out. i try to keep $100 budgeted out every month for lumber/tools/paint/other supplies i may need to buy for the theatre when i cant wait for the board office to approve purchase orders (3 weeks sometimes) or we just dont have the money.

 

[mjw56]

Ive done that more than once but never to this extent. More than a fifth of my pay for the show is a little bit much in my eyes.

 

[Footer]

Could you get away with just building the platforming and taking that on and off and using a tapeout for the rest of the set?

What you really need to research is how to make the set "rep". This is a very common thing done in the world of opera and to some extent summer stock theatre. The trick to any rep scenery is to build each element as strong as possible and to analyze how it is going to move with little crew and how it is going to attach to the space and other scenery. This biggest thing you can do to make your life easier is to bolt everything together useing wing nuts and use loose pin hinges when possible. As far as bracing goes, standard jacks are your best bets with stage weights on them.

 

[JChenault]

To the original question of how to break it apart.

First let,s label the wall units from SL to SR.
A. 10 foot door unit
B. 4 foot wall unit
C. 4 foot door
D. Stair unit with walls
E. Window unit.

I would treat A and E as single units. ( Assuming you have storage which it sounds like you do ). I would put hinged stage jacks behind A B C E . The jacks fold up for storage and fold out when in playing position.

Unit D I build as platform / flats single unit. Put casters on it.

So now you have two issues. How to attach the things and make them stable, and how to hide cracks.

The issue with cracks is really in the oblique angles between AB. And DE. If you are the designer the first thing I would consider is putting up some kind of small column or architectural element that would simply hide the issue. The second would be to attach a small extension to A and E with a beveled edge to make the wall smooth. The third would be to add some vertical elements to the paint and make the walls dark.

To attach the walls together, use loose pin hinges ( or screws if you only shift once or twice). Fasten the walls together, fasten your stage jacks to the floor, and you are good to go.

 

[mjw56]

Thanks everyone! I did expect to have to throw money at the problem, as with anything you'll get what you pay for. But then i guess its our job to maximize the return on investment.

So i have some questions. What is a tapeout, gaffing the seems and painting over?
Is a "rep" in scenery anything like a rep plot in lighting?

 

[MarshallPope]

By "tapeout," I believe that Footer is referring to just using masking tape on the floor to mark the positions of walls for rehearsals until the full set can be built.

 

[derekleffew]

By "tapeout," I believe that Footer is referring to just using masking tape on the floor to mark ...

Yes, except:
"Tapeout" is not a standard term. "Tape out the set" for rehearsal, is heard more frequently.
Using masking tape for this purpose is one of the worst things one can do. Use vinyl or cloth-backed spike tape (or 2" gaffers tape, ripped to appropriate width) instead.

 

[Grog12]

i know its not the best solution and certainly not ideal, but i usually have to buy stuff on my own dime when the budget runs out. i try to keep $100 budgeted out every month for lumber/tools/paint/other supplies i may need to buy for the theatre when i cant wait for the board office to approve purchase orders (3 weeks sometimes) or we just dont have the money.

Interesting subject check out this thread for a more in dpeth conversation http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/21516-using-your-own-money-new-post.html

 

[mjw56]

I taped out the set last Thursday.... with 1/2" painters tape....oops. Not a big deal though, our stage has alot of paint on it, and hasn't been refinished anytime i can remember, which is about 8 years.