Staging the Easter Story

[Psychedelic Theatre]

Hi all,

 

I'm part way through designing the set and staging for a 25 minute performance for the school House Drama competition. As with most performances like this, I need something simple, cheap and effective.

 

The play is a musical version of the Easter Story, covering the Last Supper, Jesus' Arrest, his Trial and his death. The music has been written by a friend of mine, and it isn't aiming to be a campfest and partial satire like Jesus Christ Superstar; our main aim is to step away from the typical pantomime style performances that we have become so bored with in the competition over the past few years, we believe that if we can create a performance that makes the audience (the rest of the school) think, or a performance that will shock them slightly.

 

I have designed and planned all of the set apart from the actual crucifixion, we don't have the equipment in place to actually have a cross with a platform for someone to stand on making it look like they're attached to the cross, unless I'm missing something very simple! So we're going to be looking at some other kind of optical illusion.

 

 

The only feasible idea I've had so far is to construct a plywood cross that we can attach to an empty batten, the bottom can then be wedged between two stage blocks. For another scene I have a line of stage blocks across the back of the stage (about 1m from the cyclorama, stage is approximately 5m deep, including the apron). If we then create some plywood groundrow to sit on top we can create a small hill with the cross coming out of the top. As the cross will be wedged between two blocks we can have the actor playing Jesus standing on the one in front. If we then backlight the scene (I'm thinking a blue backlight wash, and red back and top light on the cross) it will appear as a semi-silhouette.

 

 

As I say, that is the only feasible idea that is both simple, cheap and effective that I have been able to think of.

 

Do you have any other ideas that I could take inspiration from!?!?

 

Our version of cheap is something along the lines of £15-20 for the whole set, so far we aren't needing to spend anything (a.k.a a fiver from each of the creative team).

 

 

Many thanks for any help you can give! I will be sure to post any photos of the performance when it happens (mid-late November).

 

 

Tim

[djw1981]

I have designed and planned all of the set apart from the actual crucifixion, we don't have the equipment in place to actually have a cross with a platform for someone to stand on making it look like they're attached to the cross, unless I'm missing something very simple! So we're going to be looking at some other kind of optical illusion.

 

I have seen it done with a person just standing in crucifix position and rear lit so it appears in shilouette IIRC they used a mix of reds, with the other actors downstage and lit in tight o/w spots for any dialogue

[Nick LX]

We did a scene like this at my school. We put two ladders together in the cross shape, and the guy just held on literally. Used his hands and feet. Might work?

[Ynot]

OK.

 

Let's get assumptions out of the way for a start.

 

Mainly - You don't have any flying height above the school stage;

 

I say this cautiously as you say "to construct a plywood cross that we can attach to an empty batten" - how then would you attach the cross to the batten? I'm assuming (again) that batten = barrel on fly-lines but that these only fly to grid height, not above, yes?

 

A simple lightweight cross (yes, ply would be fine, but may need a strengthening batten of timber to make it more rigid) could easily be suspended from a barrel dropped in, and your idea of wedging between rostra at the base seems certainly feasible.

 

Give the actor something simple to hold up his arms - basic loop of rope each side woud be fine.

 

Other than that, what you described looks absolutely OK.

[Psychedelic Theatre]

We have 1.2m flyspace (ridiculous I know).

 

Empty batten = fixed lighting barrel that is empty due to it having 5A sockets, and all the lanterns having 15A (will be changed to 15A as soon as someone who knows what they're doing says that the insulation on the cables is suitable).

 

I'm thinking using rope and/or a spare safety bond through a hole at the top of the cross onto the bar.

 

I was planning on having some supporting timbers on the back.

 

A couple of loops of roop sounds like a good plan.

 

 

Thanks a lot for your help :D

[peternewman]

empty due to it having 5A sockets, and all the lanterns having 15A (will be changed to 15A as soon as someone who knows what they're doing says that the insulation on the cables is suitable).

Very OT, but remember that the CSA of the cable and hence its current carrying ability will be just as important, if not more so, than the insulation being suitable. If it was all installed for 5A, then even a "standard" dimmer fused at 10A would allow double the current to be drawn.

[Psychedelic Theatre]

Of course, I should have thought of that also; shows why I'm not the one testing it :)

[Ynot]

We have 1.2m flyspace (ridiculous I know).

Nope - that's more than some venues have! Sounds about the same as mine!

Empty batten = fixed lighting barrel that is empty due to it having 5A sockets, and all the lanterns having 15A (will be changed to 15A as soon as someone who knows what they're doing says that the insulation on the cables is suitable).

What Peter said. :)

I'm thinking using rope and/or a spare safety bond through a hole at the top of the cross onto the bar.

Is this a permanent fixture throughout the piece, or something that needs to be produced on the fly? (pun intended)

[Psychedelic Theatre]

It can be set up straight after the first scene, as all the other scenes will be played in front of a drop (on a curtain track), giving about 20 minutes, which is plenty of time.