1. Mr. Bartosh Technical Theatre I
Scenery Construction
Mr. Bartosh
Technical Theatre I

2. Why Build Scenery? Set Design
Expresses the mood and spirit of the play and reinforces the story with visual elements
Historical period
Location
Season of Year
Socioeconomic Conditions
Personality of Characters

3. What is Scenery? Scenery
Used to convey location and/or structure during a performance.
May be permanently fixed on stage but often moves to accommodate different settings within the play

4. Types of Scenery
Hard Scenery
Soft Scenery

5. Hard Scenery Characteristics Types Hard to the touch
Acoustically “live” (The way a sound acts in an environment)
Types
Two-Dimensional (2D)
Non-Load Bearing
Hard flats (Hollywood style)
Wood frames covered by ¼” plywood or lauan plywood.
Hard drops
Cut-outs that may be hung from a batten, but need to be rigid

6. Three Dimensional Scenery
Three-Dimensional (3D)
Load Bearing
Platforms: The workhorse of scenery, reuseable
Used to create levels on stage
Typical stock sizes: 4’x8’, 4’x4’, 2’x4’
Lid—3/4” plywood
3/8” Carriage Bolts
Placed at a 45 deg angle
Like a 2 on a dice
Leg Bracing—1x4 squares up platform legs. Also called banding
Cross bracing—1x4 keeps platform from twisting
Legs--2x4 cut to height of platform minus ¾”

7. Step Units Step Units: Two types Escape units On Stage Units Railings
Used to get actors on/off stage platform without being seen
On Stage Units
Built as part of scenery
Independent—stands alone
Dependent—needs to be attached to a platform
Railings
Nuel Post—large post (4”x4”) used to keep railing laterally stable
Ballusters—smaller posts (2”x2”) used to give vertical strength
Hand rail—Used to support people traversing a staircase

8. More about step units Hand Rail Balluster Nuel Post
Riser—how tall each step is (front of step)
Carriage—carries all of the weight of the unit (2” dimensional lumber)
Tread—the part you step on (3/4” hardwood or 2” dimensional lumber)

9. Other 3D Scenery
Ramps
Doors
Windows
Abstract

10. Materials
Dimensional lumber: (Sticks) solid pieces of wood so called because each denoted by nominal dimensions
1x3, 1x4, 1x6, 1x10, 1x12, 2x2, 2x4, 2x6, 2x10, 2x12 are all common in the scene shop
Nominal vs. True
2x4’s aren’t actually 2”x4”. They’ve been planed to 1 ½”x 3 ½”. The same is true for all dimensional lumber

11. Sheet Goods Most sheet goods come standard as 4’x8’ Plywood
Thin layers of wood laid out as a sheet. Each layer laid perpendicular to the last.
Common thicknesses ¼”, ½”, ¾”.
Graded A-D on number of imperfections. Most have different grades on different sides.
Used for platform lids & other
decking

12. Sheet Goods Lauan Plywood Thin plywood ( ¼”)
Lighter than ¼” pine plywood
Warps less than pine plywood
Use care in selecting where the lauan comes from
Most lauan comes from unsustainable logging

13. Sheet Goods Masonite High density, hardened fiber board.
Also called “hardboard”
Used to face platforms and for stage decking
Smooth on one side, rough on the back

14. Sheet Goods OSB Oriented Strand Board
1”-2” chips of wood that are compressed and glued into standard sized sheets
More sustainable because it’s using scraps
Cheaper than plywood
Springy-er
Does not have a smooth finished look

15. Sheet Goods MDF & HDF Medium & High Density Fiber Board (respectively)
Saw dust that is compressed and glued into a sheet good
Strong
Very Heavy
Uniform surface

16. Soft Scenery
Soft to the touch
Flexible
Acoustically absorbent

17. Types of Soft Scenery Drapery Fabric that hangs on stage
Not usually part of set
Masking: cover areas of the stage from audience view

18. Black Panel/Traveler Curtains on tracks that can be opened and closed
Typically black velour

19. Legs (Tormentors) 12-25 ft wide and taller than the proscenium arch
Masks wings
Usually black (light absorbing)
Can be IFR or cotton velour

20. Borders (Teasers) 6-12 ft. tall Wider than the proscenium arch
Masks fly house & battens
Borders hang downstage of legs
Usually black (light absorbing material)
IFR or cotton velour

21. Grand Drape (Main Drape or Act Curtain)
Types
Traveler, Tableau, Austrian & Venetian
Covers the opening of the proscenium arch
The big reveal: Traditionally used to separate acts of a show
Heavier velour than legs & borders
Guillotine or travel
Velour is usually a color other than black

22. Grand Valence (Valance)
Always just downstage of Grand Drape
Same material/color as GD
Masks GD tracks when in & other downstage items

23. Drops Part of the set Painted drops No fullness Muslin or canvas
Not typically one piece of fabric
May be cut out or not full stage

24. Cyclorama (Cyc) Greek origin: “Sky Cloth” Used to simulate sky
Large (usually larger than proscenium opening)
Seamless
True cycs are curved

25. Scrim NOT a cyc! Sharkstooth Possesses interesting properties
Knitted fabric with more open space than thread
Possesses interesting properties
Light projected onto front of scrim
Looks opaque
Light objects behind scrim
Objects visible to audience

26. Rear Projection Screen (RP)
Vinyl material
More light transmitted through the surface than fabric

27. Flats
Wooden frames with lightweight covering used to simulate walls on stage
Two Types

28. Broadway Flats Muslin (fabric) covering
Framing members lay flat against covering (parallel)
Stiles - made from 1”X3” wood, extend from the top of the bottom rail, to the bottom of the top rail
Toggle - interior support, from 1”X3” wood
Keystone - made from ¼ plywood, got its name for its shape.
Cornerblock - made from ¼ plywood (when attached, it must be ¾” form the edge of the flat (Broadway) or 1” (Hollywood), and the grain of the wood must follow the stile)
Rails - top and bottom support, from 1”X3” wood, fit the width of the flat.

29. Hollywood Flats Hard (lauan plywood) covering
Framing members lay on end from covering (perpendicular)