Scenic Construction for the Stage

Key Skills for Carpenters

Mark Tweed

• Publisher: Crowood
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781785004520
• Topic: Medios de comunicación y artes escénicas
• Subtopic: Arte y escenografía teatral

Scenic Construction for the Stage is a comprehensive guide to the practical processes involved in constructing scenery for the theatre. Offering key insight into the role of the scenic carpenter, Mark Tweed details the progression from interpreting design, model boxes and drawings, to material selection, fabrication and finishing. Additional topics include advice for developing accuracy, finish and consistency; tool selection and sharpening; CDM, Health and Safety; practical workshop mathematics and geometry, and how to fit ironmongery. With an in-depth but accessible approach, this practical book offers advice on how to start out and improve as a scenic carpenter, building a solid repertoire of reliable techniques and working practices to achieve professional results. Includes a foreword by Sir Kenneth Branagh and illustrated throughout with 350 colour photographs and 34 technical drawings and detailed step-by-step instructions.

1

CONSTRUCTION WITHIN A THEATRE PRODUCTION

THE PRODUCTION TEAM

Behind every production is the creative team who provide the aesthetic and artistic setting in which the play can take place. Their process and priorities can be different to that of the workshop, although the team as a whole are working towards the same goal. Understanding the roles within the creative team and being empathetic to their process will ultimately lead to a smoother build and higher standard of work. Making theatre can be a fascinating balance of creative thinking, artistic vision and technical skill, however often the reality of the considerations facing the construction team, such as the budget and schedule, as well as the health and safety considerations and logistics, can at times seem at odds with these aspects.

The scenic workshop at the National Theatre, where construction, scenic art and props teams work closely together to produce work of the highest standard.

Developing a deeper appreciation of what can be achieved, and a willingness to negotiate and experiment, rather than just being tempted to do things the ‘easiest way’ in terms of construction, will aid the finish and your enjoyment. It will mean you create the best work to serve the production, and you will gain greater satisfaction in the work, from being that much more invested in the process as a whole.

The team itself will vary depending on the scale and set-up of a production, but the key roles you may find yourself in contact with are the production manager, the designer and the workshop foreman.

The Production Manager

The production manager is responsible for all the technical aspects of staging a production. They will plan the schedule from the initial design meetings through to the get-out, and need to have a solid understanding of a huge range of both technical and creative disciplines, and the relationship that these have with each other, in order to stage a successful production. In construction terms the production manager will be keeping an eye on the progress of the build in relation to the schedule and budget, as well as keeping the construction department informed of any design changes or developments.

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, or CDM, is a set of regulations written by the Health and Safelty Executive in the UK which now covers most theatres, performance spaces and venues. They specifically focus on putting in place a clear hierarchy of responsibility, from the early stages of the design process through to the management of the fit-up and get-out, relating specifically to sets and staging. The production manager is at the heart of this process. The idea behind it is that systems of communication are streamlined, as all the health and safety information and schedules will be in one place for the whole team to access, and can be updated via a live document.

Jacqui Leigh and Guy Fryer, RADA’s Production and Technical Managers respectively, deliver a pre get-out ‘toolbox talk’ to the technical teams.

How does this affect you as a carpenter? Probably the most important part of this process is the ‘toolbox talk’ with the team prior to work starting. This will generally be led by the production manager or workshop foreman, and should give everyone a clear picture of the aims for the day. Any details of the plan can be discussed with everyone present, which will make for a smooth and safe build, fit-up or get-out. This should also cover basic requirements, such as where the toilets are, when the breaks are, and who everyone is. This inclusive approach not only keeps everyone informed, but reduces the risk of an accident, saves a lot of time, and avoids the potential for miscommunication.

The Designer

Set Designer Judith Croft’s white card model for RADA’s production of Assassins.

Designer Adrian Linford and Director Phillip Franks talk through their ideas for Women Beware Women with Production Manager Jacqui Leigh.

The member of the creative team with whom you should find yourself in regular contact is the designer. In theatre, particularly the designer is often responsible for designing both the set and also costumes to help provide a cohesive style for the piece, although this is not always the case. Their process is closely linked to the play itself, as well as the process of the director.

The designer will begin by reading the play and discussing it with the director, analysing characters and settings to begin to form an idea of the scope of the design. The play may be set in a specific historical period or geographical location, or be staged in a particular style of art or performance. The designer will begin researching these to help provide a creative ‘palette’ of colours, shapes, objects and locations to inform their design. They will also begin to look at the theatre space itself to get an idea of not only the physical dimensions of the stage, but also the technical possibilities in terms of scene changes, masking, audience configuration and the physical attributes of the venue itself, which may be tied into the design.

Once their research is completed, the designer will begin to produce a ‘white card’ model box of the set, a 1:25 scale model of the theatre with key elements of set and props modelled simply for experimentation and discussion with the production team. The main purpose of this is to get a sense of the concept in three dimensions, and to see how the design could work in relation to the ground plan. At this point the various practicalities and technical considerations can be discussed with the director, production manager and often the departmental team leaders (construction, scenic art, wardrobe) before committing to a final design.

The designer will produce a final model and supporting drawings to present to the team at a production meeting. Usually the director will introduce the play and their vision for staging the piece. The designer will present their final design in the form of a finished model with full detail and accurate paint finishes, as well as technical drawings and references for the construction and props teams, and costume drawings and samples for wardrobe to work from.

The play is often ‘storyboarded’ during the meeting using the model box to show major events and scene changes, and to give the team a good idea of the technical requirements relevant to their department.

So as you can appreciate, the designer’s process can be complex, and can encompass a huge range of variables. Therefore supporting them through this process, asking them questions about their design, putting your ideas forward and experimenting with theirs, will lead to interesting and satisfying work.

Hand-drawn designer’s plans on the board ready to be analysed by the construction team.

The Workshop Foreman

As a carpenter, you will generally report directly to the workshop foreman, who will supervise the build taking place in the workshop. They will be a carpentry specialist with an in-depth understanding of the materials, tools and techniques required to undertake the build, and are often the link between the drawing or production team and the fabrication team, making sure that drawings are ready to go to the workshop and that materials are in stock. They will often dictate the pace of the build, keep an eye on the quality of the work before it leaves the workshop, and induct new team members on the use of machinery.

UNDERSTANDING TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

The work of the construction team really begins once the technical drawings and model box are available to work from. These drawings can take many forms, sometimes drawn by hand in a traditional style, and now more commonly using CAD (computer-aided design) programmes. The same applies to the model box, which may be a physical object or may be rendered in 3D to allow for manipulation, again using a CAD programme. It is common for designers to provide references in the form of photographs and sketches to support their drawings, and allow the workshop team to interpret the style of the piece using the ‘language’ of the design.

Every designer has their own style, and will express their ideas in a different way depending on the area of their technical expertise. What they all have in common is the desire to communicate their ideas clearly to the team to ensure that their vision of the piece is accurately recreated on stage. Therefore, understanding the format of the most common styles of technical drawing will help you to achieve this goal.

The title block contains vital information about the technical drawing. GARY THORNE

A scale ruler is an essential tool when interpreting drawings and model boxes.

A guide to the various line types found on a technical drawing. GARY THORNE

Before reading drawings it is important to understand the visual language and format that they are drawn in. The first port of call when looking at any technical drawing is the title block. This will contain information related to the production such as the name of the play, the director and the venue as well as crucial technical information relating to the drawing itself. Before planning or building anything, be sure to study this carefully, as some of the unanswered questions arising from studying the drawing itself may be addressed here.

In theatre, most printed venue drawings are 1:25 scale (1mm on paper: 25mm in reality); however, some larger theatres, and opera houses in particular, will print at 1:50 due to the size of the venue and in the interests of making the drawing printable. Drawings of individual set pieces may vary, but will typically be at 1:25, though sometimes det...