Closed Topics: Help! Fake bookcase!!

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Help! Fake bookcase!!

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Topic: Help! Fake bookcase!!

Posted By: lrundear
Subject: Help! Fake bookcase!!
Date Posted: 8/09/05 at 3:40pm

We are performing Death by chocolate and need a fake
bookcase for characters to come in and out of. Our set is
minimal because we need to clear the stage after every
rehearsal. We are using cloth and tubing to put wings and a
background up. It would be ideal to have a cloth with a
bookshelf painted on, but I can't find anyone who is able to
paint such a thing. Is there something somewhere I can buy?
Does anyone know?

Replies:

Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 8/10/05 at 1:27am

I don't know if this will help you, but here is a fast and easy way to create a "bookcase" that can hang on the wall, or perhaps could be rigged to pivot on a center point if that is what you need. The one thing it will do is to save you hours and hours of detailed painting. Buy a roll of wallpaper border with a pattern of library books on it. We found some in a Diamond Vogel store several years ago and pasted it to a sheet of Masonite board in rows which were staggered to not repeat the same way each time.

Posted By: tblan
Date Posted: 8/10/05 at 9:47pm

Another option is to paint a sheet of 3/4" ply the with horizontal lines (shelves) and a outerframe to look like a book case. Then cut pieces of lauan of various sizes to look like spines of books and paint them in a bunch of different colors. Finally staple the lauan "books" onto the painted "shelves". We did this in a large scale production fo Disney's Beauty and the Beast with much success. The only difference was we used massive hard cover flats instead of sheets of ply.

Posted By: lrundear
Date Posted: 8/11/05 at 11:49am

Thank you so much!!

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 8/11/05 at 6:05pm

Great idea, tblan! And if cutting individual pieces of
lauan is too time-consuming or expensive, then
merely cut three or four at different sizes and use
them as printing blocks.

Dip the blocks of luaun into paint and transfer the
prints onto the painted shelves. Vary your pattern
and colors as you see fit.

Good luck.

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"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

Posted By: TechieOfDoom
Date Posted: 11/01/05 at 9:55pm

well for dracula we put our bookcases(we constructed actual bookcases out of luaun and plywood) on a wagon (we had two bookcases, one "real" and one "fake") and we attached castors to the bottom of our fake one and attached hinges to it so it swung inward like a door. (its hard to explain but if need be i can send pics) ... as for deco we used real books and knick knacks

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Fortune cookie says:"'actions speak louder than words' [in bed]" Dave: "I dont have to talk to myself in bed, because actions speak louder than words!"

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 11/02/05 at 9:41am

All of the above are tried and true for the bookcase proper... Some other options we have used for the books are... assorted card board food boxes. (your moring Wheaties, or box of favorite crackers..) cut down to a few inches deep and painted to look like book spines. Also, and my favorite, is to take old books and take the chop saw too them, saving only the last inch or so with the spine... both options really cut down on the weight of the overall unit..

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: castMe
Date Posted: 11/04/05 at 6:07pm

We have also used different sizes of half round molding to replicate book spines. Vary the sizes and don't forget to lay some "books" down and lean some at an angle against standing books.

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Investigate. Imagine. Choose.

Posted By: Julien
Date Posted: 11/04/05 at 6:11pm

if it needs to be light, try using large peices of styrofaom with that book wallpaper attached to the front, it will greatly lessen the load of all that wood, and it will look the same.