Stage Productions

There's nothing like enjoying movies in your own home theater. The comfy space, the big screen, the cheap popcorn. Converting unused space into your own theater isn't hard, but it takes some...

Making stage chandeliers is a fairly straight-forward process. Start with a traditional chandelier, adapt the wiring for direct plug in and modify the finish to "read" correctly under harsh stage...

Flats are the portable, storable building blocks of theater set construction. Traditional flats made of fabric stretched over a wood frame have long been used in theater because of their light...

If you have ever experienced Northern Lights, or the aurora borealis, you know firsthand how amazing this astronomical event is. Northern Lights are a very deep shade of color, usually lime green...

Conventional theatrical lighting fixtures (also called instruments) can be hung, aimed and focused quickly and easily. All it takes is an understanding of the instrument's basic components and a...

Lighting equipment represents one of the largest financial investments for a theater organization. Keeping the equipment in good operating order, repairing it when necessary, and installing it in...

Crimping a wire rope sleeve is easier than it seems. Before we get started you will need the following items. 1. Wire rope 2. A sleeve in co-ordination to your wire rope. (If you are using...

Spiking a stage is the process of placing pieces of colored tape at the base of set pieces so that the running crew knows where they go during scene changes. Spiking a stage is a very important...

Light gels are used in theater, photography, film and video production to either create mood or to balance out uneven temperatures from different lighting sources. Light gels were once made from...

Burns to the skin, whether they are mild or severe, have a unique look to them that sets them apart from other types of injuries, presenting challenges to a special effects makeup designer more...

Whether appearing to be made of wood or stone, columns are an interesting design element on any stage set. A variety of materials and building techniques will mimic the look of fluted columns,...

Life sized stand up characters, based on photographs or drawings, are easy to make thanks to computer graphics technology and widely available printing services at neighborhood printing and copy...

What constitutes the "best" black light effect is up for debate. The best effects are those that offer an element of surprise and create that "Ooo, Ah!" response from an audience. Black light...

Classic, medieval or Gothic stone columns can set the scene for any stage play. Building realistic "stone" columns takes some research and preparation. Along with being designed to scale, they...

There are several plays, particularly musicals, which specify a background scene illustrating New York and "The Great White Way." Musicals like "Guys and Dolls," and "42nd Street," require this...

Whether you are designing the lights for an off-Broadway musical, or simply creating a set of cues for your local community theater, the alteration and manipulation of stage lights is crucial for...

A great and relatively simple special effect used in theater is a scrim. A scrim is a netted curtain that when lit in different ways can appear either translucent or opaque from the vantage point...

In the 1930s, the idea of turning an old barn into a stage and putting on a show was popularized by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney movies. In reality, however, there are a lot more issues involved...

The world of stage lighting can be a promising and fascinating field. But you cannot walk into the door and find work right away. Employers will expect you to know what you are talking about and...

Lighting is one of the cardinal design elements of any theatre production. Lighting is almost more important to a stage show than a set or costumes. You can produce a stage play with virtually no...

Props and backdrops help establish the world of the play. For larger productions there are usually two teams designated to deal with all props and all backdrops, with a prop designer or other...

Achieving rich, vibrant sound for a theater production is important, particularly in musicals. Sound quality is often overlooked in production design, but you can engineer high-quality "surround...

A black light can be very effective for dramatic, mood-enhancing scenes required by some scripts. Though a generally weak source for illumination when it comes to stage lighting (the average...

Stage props can be classified into three basic categories: "hand" props manipulated by actors with their hands and carried about the stage; "set" props only employed to impart a heightened sense...

By starting a theatre company, you can bring a group of people interested in theatre together. Your theatre company can be a large group with its own venue, employing actors, directors, producers...

Spattering (not 'splattering') is a method of applying drops of paint to a surface. It is commonly used in scenic painting to create texture, depth, and variety in a treatment. A two-handed...

Spattering (not 'splattering') is a method of applying drops of paint to a surface. It is commonly used in scenic painting to create texture, depth, and variety in a treatment. These...

It's a dark, eerie night on the streets of London as the killer stalks his prey. Just as he is about to strike, police searchlights turn night into day and reveal him to his victim. Stage lighting...

Quickly create a sharp looking newsletter from your computer by using Microsoft Publisher. Whether a personal or company related newsletter, you will be impressed with the user friendliness of the...

Very few plays or musicals are set in only one location, which means that the scenery---including furniture, the background or the set itself---needs to be changed between acts. The primary...

Tinkerbell, the impish fairy from the J. M. Barrie play "Peter Pan," is generally not portrayed by an actor in stage productions. Instead, she is a character created by effects of light and sound.

Lighting effects on stage can be created using gel rotators, which have up to 20 different colors of gels available for a single light. See how the mood can be changed with a simple color change...

A stage manager is the liaison between the director, actors, producer and the audience, and he or she makes sure that the show is running smoothly from start to finish. Discover the job of a stage...

Stage lights are controlled by an operator who presets the various lighting options for the show, and each light can be made brighter, softer or colored. Understand the function of stage lights...

Theatrical supplies includes tools, lights, gaff tape, pulleys, costumes and blocks and tackle. Find out how stages are rigged for special effects with tips from an experienced stage manager in...

Lighting design for the theater is based upon changes in music or mood, and there can be as many as 400 lighting cues for any given show. Learn the finer points of designing stage lighting with...

English teachers and community-theater volunteers often end up with the job of lighting an amateur production. A truck pulls up and unloads a pile of black or gray metal instruments, piles of...

The key to building any type of stage scenery is to keep it lightweight. This applies to backdrops, flats and individual pieces of scenery (such as a tree placed downstage). Some theaters have the...

Here's a little insight on the lighting industry. A few pointers to get a career started in the right direction. Whether you want to work with rock stars or just the good kind of people that...

Are you producing a play and need a hut to complete your set? Do you wish you could be MacGyver and build a hut from straw? All it takes to build a hut is some basic building materials.

You can build a simple stage backdrop with a few easy-to-find pieces of PVC and fabric. Learn how to make a stage backdrop that can easily be transformed or dressed up for a variety of...

Applying makeup for stage is an art in which cosmetics are the paints, and the human face is the canvas. Different situations require different makeup application techniques. Stage makeup is...

What most people notice when attending a live play is the acting on the stage. The actors in their costumes lit correctly will leave a lasting impression. Just as important, but often unnoticed,...

Latex moulds are a nice compromise between fibreglass and silicone moulds. They take a little longer to make but they are more flexible than a solid fibreglass mould and much cheaper than silicone...

Silicone moulds are much more forgiving with undercuts than fibreglass because they are so flexible. Silicone moulds are used more for casting urethane foams and resins to make solid objects....

Whether you're considering lighting design as a career or just want to help out with your child's elementary school play, the principles of lighting for the stage are the same.

This technique can be adapted to make a latex bladder any shape or size for any purpose you like. Making a latex bladder that fits inside he handle of a blood spurting razor is a good example.

There are no specific rules to designing your stage lights for a performance. This will depend greatly on the needs of the production. Even so, most designers generally follow the guidelines...

Every great stage production captures the imagination of the audience through some from of visual art. A well-painted and designed backdrop can make an audience feel as if it has been transported...

Rehearsals are going well, and opening night is approaching. Now is the time to make the playbill. This document provides information about the particular play as well as about the theater. You...