Rigging the mirrors in A Chorus Line

[James Steinmeyer]

I'm preparing a production of A Chorus Line. I plan on using 7 acrylic 4x8 mirror panels. I would rather not place a stagehand behind each unit in order to rotate them. I'm looking for a suggestion on how to rig them to open or rotate simultaneously without the use of 7 stagehands.

 

[rsmentele]

When I did the show we welded chain drive gears onto the center shaft and ran a chain around all the panels. We didn't have the time to automate it, so one stagehand turned one, and they all followed.

I know there are tons of videos online on how a few people solved this, as well as turning periaktoi.

 

[DRU]

My stock periaktoi have a plywood disc at the base that allow a cable to be wrapped around it. We set up the periaktoi, wrap the cable around and attach part of it with a small u-bolt to the disc (so it doesn't slide), then run it to an offstage drive disc, then back to the first periaktoi, where it is attached to the u-bolt with the other end of the cable, creating a continuous loop. You can't make infinite turns in one direction with it, but with some adjusting, I can get a full rotation. It's the same system described in Technical Design Solutions for Theatre Vol. II.