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Freestanding legs


Amy Worrall

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We're performing our pantomime in a village hall. It has a stage with a proscenium, and indeed it used to be outfitted as a theatre… apparently when the council sold it to the local residents association, they gutted everything theatre relate from it. So now there's no tab track, no lighting bars… pretty much nothing you can hang anything from.

 

In the wings, on stage left the wing space has a lower ceiling than the stage, so last year we duct taped black cloth to the overhang of the ceiling. On stage right, the ceiling height is not reduced, and last year we attempted a bodge by running some string between our freestanding set and the hinges of a door, then hung the black cloth from that. It just about worked, if nobody tugged on it and pulled the set over.

 

Lighting wise, I'm bringing freestanding lighting stands that each hold four lanterns. Last year I brought three stands, and placed them all in the auditorium, but this year I'm thinking of bringing four stands: two in the auditorium for FOH light, and one on each side of the stage with LED PARs for side light. I mention these because they're another thing to get in the way in the wings…

 

So, my question. What sort of thing exists that's freestanding, and would hold up some cloth to let me mask the wings a bit? The ceiling height on stage right is about 4.5m, and on SL it's about 2.5m. I don't need to go right up to the ceiling of course, as long as it's tall enough to properly mask a person and block any light from the door to backstage. I plan to use a very light cotton black cloth (I believe it's made for bedsheets, but apparently they sell more to theatres…) so the weight of the cloth is not an issue, but whatever I use to hold it up will need to be secure enough to not fall over if a cast member knocks it.

 

We could use wooden flats, and indeed we have some… but the props that hold them up would get in the way, and we'd have to faff about painting them black…

 

I'm not after perfect. This is, after all, a panto in a village hall. I'd just like to do something a bit better than last year, but without compromising safety.

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you could use a tank trap system, it consists of flat plates that hold an upright scaff tube that you can fix horizontal bars to, to form a frame, they are often used in hotels and conference venues to mask off areas or split up rooms.

 

Depending on the overall size of the stage you could also look at a simple scaffold frame and use adjustable bases to wedge the uprights between the floor and ceiling then fix horizontals to it. You could also fix boom arms to this to hold the lights and not need the stands.

you would need to have a beam at the ceiling height or use some timber to span a couple of joists so as not to go through the ceiling if its plaster.

 

http://www.kaoticuk.com/wp/wp-content/gallery/product-staging-pics/screw_jacks.jpg

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Just to be clear that image is jack legs referring to the 2nd part of your post. Tank traps look like this. But for holding up drapes, pipe and drape is the professional way to do it.

 

http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/shop/images/products/t54250.jpg

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Just to be clear that image is jack legs referring to the 2nd part of your post. Tank traps look like this. But for holding up drapes, pipe and drape is the professional way to do it.

 

http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/shop/images/products/t54250.jpg

sorry thought that as the image was after the second part of the post, and also me thinking everyone would recognise an adjustable base, it was clear what it was.....

 

As for the most professional, most professionals would use a venue they could hang the masking from......

 

There are many ways to achieve a pipe and drape system, tank traps, prop systems even truss systems, all depending on the height of the space, and the budget involved or as is quite often the case lack of budget involved......

 

 

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in my view, a professional is 'one who can identify and implement an appropriate solution for the venue in question', rather than 'someone who says "I can't work there, it hasn't got the right facilities"'

I always thought a professional is someone who is doing the job to pay their bills, i.e. it is their profession... though I like your definition better

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I know plenty of professional1 people who aren't professional2 ;)

 

1. earning money

2. competent to do the job

 

And let's not forget that plenty of people are professional2 without being professional1 as well http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

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Amy - we have a couple of tank traps in hire you can borrow if it helps - you just need to sort some 48mm tubing out (we have some lengths around the place - sod's law says they'll be too short).

 

You've got my eMail - drop me a note with your dates and I'll put the tank traps to one side if you want to borrow them.

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