Trap door in a set pice that meets a schools safety code?

[Bryce_J]

I am trying to build a set pice for a middle school production of Will Wonka and i need to build the "good nut/egg bad nut/egg" machine with a trap door for the actor to fall through. We want to have the trap door for this but of course safety is one of the most important things in this build. the stage we are using has no trap doors because it is a low unproffesional stage with no way of having anything underneath it and cannot have any kind of damage to the floor. this also needs to be portable. I also do not know how I'm going to build the mechanism to trigger the trap door to open. if we cannot do the trap door then we will just have her duck down behind a elevated platform but if it is at all possible we would like to make a trap door. if you have any suggestions on how we could do this please respond A.S.A.P.

P.S. also keep in mind this is a very low budget production.

 

[theatricalmatt]

As a slightly-less technically intricate solution, consider a low wall with a crash pad behind it. She sits on the wall, he pulls the lever, she falls backward (under her own control) onto the crash mat.

 

[AudJ]

Welcome, I also run middle school shows, so I know where you are coming from.

I would encourage you to reconsider having a student fall through a trap door without professional stunt training, and an engineer to design the set. There are too many ways to cause serious injury to list here.

I am curious to see what safe options might be offered on CB to help you out.

Good luck!

 

[sk8rsdad]

When we did Wonka we used a slide and dressed it up with a bottomless barrel then did some schtick where she looked like she got knocked down the slide by the sorting device. No trap door.

 

[MPowers]

Trap doors that talent falls through are a far more complex item than most people realize. I have designed and built several over the years, both manually operated and automated. Safety of course is a major factor. The door has to be sturdy enough to walk on, absolutely positively stay shut until triggered, open rapidly enough to clear before the falling performer can strike anything, have an opening large enough to clear all body parts, at east as deep below the floor framing as the actor is tall with adequate height for landing pads. The door has to be able to be quickly and easily closed and latched, I. E. Uess the whole thing is automated you need enough room for a couple stagehands in addition to the performer.

In other words, a simple trap door is anything but simple and rarely inexpensive. IMHO your best bet is one of the alternative solutions already mentioned. Take into concideration the age and agility of your performer and plan acordingly.

 

[Bryce_J]

Trap doors that talent falls through are a far more complex item than most people realize. I have designed and built several over the years, both manually operated and automated. Safety of course is a major factor. The door has to be sturdy enough to walk on, absolutely positively stay shut until triggered, open rapidly enough to clear before the falling performer can strike anything, have an opening large enough to clear all body parts, at east as deep below the floor framing as the actor is tall with adequate height for landing pads. The door has to be able to be quickly and easily closed and latched, I. E. Uess the whole thing is automated you need enough room for a couple stagehands in addition to the performer.

In other words, a simple trap door is anything but simple and rarely inexpensive. IMHO your best bet is one of the alternative solutions already mentioned. Take into concideration the age and agility of your performer and plan acordingly.

I am talking to the technical director at the fine arts center in my town who is licensed to design and build a trap door if he has any safe ideas. the girl who would be falling is very short so height won't be too big of a problem. Also the assistant director for the show has a stunt instructors lives so he can take care of that. Due to it being such a hassle I'm pretty sure we will be going with an alternative design. I like the slide idea but I will probably still hide the actor. I'm thinking something like the sweeny todd chair.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

A licensed techncal director? School safety code?

 

[gafftaper]

the girl who would be falling is very short so height won't be too big of a problem.

A four foot fall is still a four foot fall, regardless of how tall you are. A fall through a trap door has to potential of a wide variety of very serious injuries if anything goes wrong. I would strongly advise you to not do the trap door fall. There are far too many things that can go wrong without a LOT of very professional engineering and stunt work, I doubt you have the budget to get this right. Doing it on your own is far to dangerous to try. Don't do it.

Safe Alternative:
When I did "Once Upon the Mattress" I did something that might work for you. The princess has to fall into the moat. I built one of the castle windows with a slide behind it. Just build a ramp and cover it with masonite. At the bottom of the ramp I put a pad from the Gymnasium. She sat on the edge of the window and then just leaned over backwards and slid down the ramp. I had technicans stationed on both sides to grab her arms as she came over and help her to stay centered on the slide and to control her speed just a bit. Simple, safe, easy to build. A little acting and she went from just laying down backward to looking like she was flipping upside down with her legs in the air as she fell in the moat. Great effect.

 

[TheaterEd]

I think that he mentioned that the girl was short in order to say that he wouldn't have to build the trap as high as he would if the child was taller.

That being said, as you stated, you are on a budget. I Love Gaff's ramp out the window idea and I have to imagine that would be easier and cheaper than building or modifying a Sweeny Chair.

You can bet that the ramp out the window will be in my back pocket for future productions.