Set Design and Construction: orphan beds for ANNIE

Print Page | Close Window

orphan beds for ANNIE

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=5474
Printed Date: 10/31/25 at 6:55pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: orphan beds for ANNIE

Posted By: kmdded
Subject: orphan beds for ANNIE
Date Posted: 4/07/13 at 8:28pm

Any suggestions for making the orphan beds?

Replies:

Posted By: bmiller025
Date Posted: 4/08/13 at 1:04pm

Keep it simple! Put the magic into the Warbucks mansion. Depending on your perfomance space and audience configuration, you don't have to even make real beds. I have seen it done with just bedrolls on the floor. You can also build suitably sturdy bed frames by mounting 2x2 posts to cheap plywood headboards and footboards, stringing them together with 2x4 runners, and covering the bed surface with plywood or OSB. This is time consuming, but not outrageously expensive. I don't think these will stand up to enthusiastic dance numbers and performers jumping on them, but they hopefully won't have to.

-------------
http://www.brianmiller.biz/BrianDesign.htm

Posted By: jtonner
Date Posted: 4/09/13 at 6:29am

Depending on how many orphans, you can build a mini platform (or seven if you are using the written number of orphans, or even six if you put Annie in bed with Molly). In 1993 we built seven of these using standard platform construction of 2 X 4's and 3/4" plywood. No headboards or footboards, just the platforms with sturdy legs (so the girls can dance on them during "Hard Knock Life").

Not only did these work great for the show, you have no idea how handy those 2' x 4' platforms have been over the years. We took the legs off and kept the platforms, we have probably used them in probably 40-50 shows since 1993.

-------------
John