Self Supporting/stand alone Kabuki Drop

[MCW]

I have been asked by one of the directors I work with to design a Kabuki drop that will be 10-12' high and 32' wide. The catch is the drop will need to be used in multiple spaces, mostly off of our stage and away from the rigging we have available. Does anyone have any suggestions on what type of support system/frame could be used that will be portable, easy to assemble/disassemble and unobtrusive on stage after the curtain has dropped?? Any ideas will be greatly appriciated!

 

[kicknargel]

Well, you could use a pipe and drape system. Fits the first two criteria but maybe too obstrusive--there will be uprights every 10ish feet. To do the full width without support in the middle you'd need to use truss of some nature.

 

[FatherMurphy]

You might be able to do the effect with two towers on either side of the stage, with your release points only at the top corners of the drop. However, getting the top to pull taut to anything resembling a straight line will be difficult. If a somewhat drooping swag at the top of the drop is acceptable, then you only need to come up with towers suitable to your needs and budget. I'd personally tend towards truss stood on end, with corner blocks and short sections forming a stable base of outriggers. If the duration between the start of the show and the drop effect is short, a couple actors/crew holding some pipe vertically might suffice, although the drop might move when the holders fidget.

Otherwise, you're into truss spans and crank-up towers, which might not be within your budget or transportation ability.

I'm assuming that you're dealing with all indoors venues - outdoors would require wind loading to be considered, and things like free-standing drops get much more bothersome to deal with.