Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Backdrops

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DramaMama
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Posted: 6/01/04 at 2:37pm

Gaafa

Thanks for the information. As to the size of the drop. We are not planning a full stage drop. Just something to fill a quarter stage area. The play calls for myriad scenes just done with lights. I don't know where the heck I am going to come up with three different desks and three telephones though LOL. Not to mention the car and the pool table. It is a cute play however and should be a good challenge if we can just find a few more males.

Art thrives in Adversity

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Gaafa
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Posted: 6/01/04 at 10:18pm

What play are you doing DM?
When doing the backdrop, ensure you cut it wider at the tail, this will reduce side rolling & it will hang better.
Can you get away with just a double sided flat - profiled cut out of a vehicle, set & mounted on a stage truck. Then it would only have to be revolved for the second car - if the cars direction is not important?
As for the lack of males, this is seems to be world wide in community theatre. Have you thought of gender swapping some of the character roles?
Again with the desks, by having a 2 sided one or just tarting up & changing the desk props. This may reduce the total number required.
Chookas DM

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DramaMama
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Posted: 6/05/04 at 2:36pm

Gaffa, We are doing "Boondoggle in the Bayou" a send up of old 30's radio dramas. The reason I would need the three desks is because after my husband asked whether we were trying to kill him with all the different scenes, he thought it would be nice to just have certain prime locations permanently set in place on stage. Then we can just "spot" them with light without a big hubub

We have always gender switched in our plays, even going so far as to having a good sport of a 7th grade girl step up to the plate to play a knight of the round table at the last minute for our last play. She enjoyed stippling on a beard though :)

Thanks again for all the great ideas. Have we ever bothered with a thread on what people's backgrounds are? I notice that you and a couple others seem to have a vast array of information leading me to surmise you have been in the biz a long time in a variety of positions.

Art thrives in Adversity

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Gaafa
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Posted: 6/05/04 at 11:23pm

Great idea for a topic DM! It is also a way for ?Guests? to introduce themselves & possibly increase registered membership on this ?Green Sward?.
Unfortunately having been spawned, once upon a time in theatre & growing up in a suitcase. Which now seems to qualify me as a Certified Practising ?has bean?, with one foot in the grave - which has to be an oxymoron in it?s self, because I?m more than likely to be ?burnt up? - rather than be ?put down?! (although the latter has been mooted on many occasions by others, as the preferred method of my evaporation!). I think that sums up in total, my theatrical background to date!
Anyhow back in the Bayou! Mr DM has the right idea in keeping it simple & letting the lights do the work by zoning the space, thus allowing the punters to use their imagination & putting suspenders on their disbelief ! - is the way to go! As a thumb rule, any scene change that expects the BOS?s to wait & vegemite for more than 30 seconds - is far too long!

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DramaMama
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Posted: 6/06/04 at 10:11am

Oh I am very aware of audiences and darkness and have a whole zoo of theatrical pet peeves to go with it. I am a slave driver to scene changers and they grumble a lot about having to sit through so many rehearsals so they can get to know the play, but it pays off in the end.

My co director called me a Drama Nazi once and I kind of liked it LOL

I am going to go start a Who are you thread in the other stuff catagory

Art thrives in Adversity

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Author	Message
DramaMama Player Joined: 5/01/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 22	Posted: 6/01/04 at 2:37pm
	Gaafa Thanks for the information. As to the size of the drop. We are not planning a full stage drop. Just something to fill a quarter stage area. The play calls for myriad scenes just done with lights. I don't know where the heck I am going to come up with three different desks and three telephones though LOL. Not to mention the car and the pool table. It is a cute play however and should be a good challenge if we can just find a few more males. L
	Art thrives in Adversity
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Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 6/01/04 at 10:18pm
	What play are you doing DM? When doing the backdrop, ensure you cut it wider at the tail, this will reduce side rolling & it will hang better. Can you get away with just a double sided flat - profiled cut out of a vehicle, set & mounted on a stage truck. Then it would only have to be revolved for the second car - if the cars direction is not important? As for the lack of males, this is seems to be world wide in community theatre. Have you thought of gender swapping some of the character roles? Again with the desks, by having a 2 sided one or just tarting up & changing the desk props. This may reduce the total number required. Chookas DM
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DramaMama Player Joined: 5/01/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 22	Posted: 6/05/04 at 2:36pm
	Gaffa, We are doing "Boondoggle in the Bayou" a send up of old 30's radio dramas. The reason I would need the three desks is because after my husband asked whether we were trying to kill him with all the different scenes, he thought it would be nice to just have certain prime locations permanently set in place on stage. Then we can just "spot" them with light without a big hubub We have always gender switched in our plays, even going so far as to having a good sport of a 7th grade girl step up to the plate to play a knight of the round table at the last minute for our last play. She enjoyed stippling on a beard though :) Thanks again for all the great ideas. Have we ever bothered with a thread on what people's backgrounds are? I notice that you and a couple others seem to have a vast array of information leading me to surmise you have been in the biz a long time in a variety of positions.
	Art thrives in Adversity
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 6/05/04 at 11:23pm
	Great idea for a topic DM! It is also a way for ?Guests? to introduce themselves & possibly increase registered membership on this ?Green Sward?. Unfortunately having been spawned, once upon a time in theatre & growing up in a suitcase. Which now seems to qualify me as a Certified Practising ?has bean?, with one foot in the grave - which has to be an oxymoron in it?s self, because I?m more than likely to be ?burnt up? - rather than be ?put down?! (although the latter has been mooted on many occasions by others, as the preferred method of my evaporation!). I think that sums up in total, my theatrical background to date! Anyhow back in the Bayou! Mr DM has the right idea in keeping it simple & letting the lights do the work by zoning the space, thus allowing the punters to use their imagination & putting suspenders on their disbelief ! - is the way to go! As a thumb rule, any scene change that expects the BOS?s to wait & vegemite for more than 30 seconds - is far too long!
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DramaMama Player Joined: 5/01/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 22	Posted: 6/06/04 at 10:11am
	Oh I am very aware of audiences and darkness and have a whole zoo of theatrical pet peeves to go with it. I am a slave driver to scene changers and they grumble a lot about having to sit through so many rehearsals so they can get to know the play, but it pays off in the end. My co director called me a Drama Nazi once and I kind of liked it LOL I am going to go start a Who are you thread in the other stuff catagory
	Art thrives in Adversity
	IP Logged

Topic: Backdrops( Topic Closed)
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