Smile - Set Complications
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3727
Printed Date: 5/18/24 at 4:46am
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Topic: Smile - Set Complications
Posted By: mwelch408
Subject: Smile - Set Complications
Date Posted: 1/09/09 at 5:37pm
Has anyone out there ever been involved in a production of "Smile," the little known beauty pageant musical from the early 80's?
I am in the midst of designing it and am a pretty difficult time wrapping my head around a major set piece. Essentially, there is a lot of conversation about a ramp for the pageant - apparently it juts out over the audience cutting off a lot of seats and the pageant coordinators are not pleased about it. But, after a girl trips and falls on a different set piece, they announce to re-install the ramp. 25 bars of music later, its opening night of the pageant.
The script is very confusing, as it does not fully explain:
1) What exactly the girl trips and falls on - they say its a loose nail from some set piece - but its not clear what it is.
2) How the runway is supposed to exist, specifically, how it is able to be moved out and jut in to the audience within 25 bars of music.
I would really appreciate some feedback on this set piece, especially how other productions have handled it (because it is a major piece of conversation throughout the show, however, no major details are ever provided other than it juts in to the audience and its not there until the first night of a pageant).
Thanks so much!
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---Matthew Welch---
Director/Set Designer in California's South Bay Area
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Replies:
Posted By: Mike Swy
Date Posted: 1/11/09 at 2:47pm
NOT knowing the configuration of the space you're producing in this idea may or may not work.
You may consider your runway or ramp going out into or over the audience being made of 3/4" plywood with a piano hinge joint connecting the part that extends out. The "legs" that hold the end of that extension up could be "hinged" as well with carriage bolts with wing nuts. Loosen the wing nuts, fold the extension back onto the rest of the ramp. With the extension being the same width as the rest of the ramp - legs would lay down past the edges of the remaining portion of the ramp.
Cover ramp with carpet or matting and that will hide the hinge and COULD be what the pageant contestant trips over (like a wrinkle or something).
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"I never quite got the hang of real life." Phoebe Craddock, "Romantic Comedy"
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