Theater

There are many stage productions that suggest the need for a chandelier to establish historical period or to heighten reality. Before designing a stage chandelier, it is important to know if the...

Whether your goal is to win an Academy Award one day or to simply have fun, the drama club is an enjoyable school activity. Students of all ages get to stage their own production and learn the...

A fun night on the town can mean different things to different people. Some enjoy dinner and a movie, some prefer watching the big game at a sports bar, and others love showing off their moves at...

Being your own stylist for photo shoots is easy! Now you can dress your model or yourself for photos as if you had an unlimited wardrobe! You can have access to all of the clothes, shoes and...

Incorporating a working water fountain into a stage set is not as challenging as it may sound. The project is often worth the time and modest expense because "practical" water fountains always...

Well-thought-out face paint is the crowning glory to many good costumes. Face paint stirs young imaginations, encourages dramatic play and is a grand lot of fun for adults. Everybody loves a...

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...

Using puppets to teach a lesson is a simple and interactive way to get your audience to engage in what they are learning. Puppets can be believable characters with unique personalities, voices,...

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...

A realistic and reusable plaster arm cast can be constructed for theatre productions from materials found around the shop and at hardware and medical supply stores. A little careful engineering is...

Whether it is your first time producing a circus show, or you are simply looking to broaden your knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes of tent construction, a familiarity with the elements...

Several techniques are available for creating great three-dimensional masks for costume or performance use, but one very quick method involves ordinary tools and materials that are easy to find in...

Steampunk is a section of fantasy that blends a world where steam technology is widely used in conjunction with science fiction or fantastical elements. This genre came about in the 1990s and has...

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...

Play rehearsals are time consuming and if you do not have the lead role you end up watching most of the time. Here are some things you can to do maximize your time.

If you dream of seeing yourself on tv, or up on the big screen in some action flick, then there are a couple of steps that you need to take in order to help build a foundation that your dreams can...

Several musicals and many children's plays call for a "Cinderella-style carriage." A carriage that can actually carry Cinderella, and convey her to and from the stage, can be constructed using...

Whether a theater is a "black box" or "found space" facility, an older auditorium about to undergo a major renovation, or a brand new professional theater in the initial design stages, few...

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...

Realistic, three-dimensional faux stones can be made out of plaster of Paris and other plaster-like products to decorate stage sets for less cost than purchasing faux stones at the local hardware...

“Death is easy, comedy is hard” is one phrase Sir Lawrence Olivier used to describe his experience as an actor on the stage and screen. While the genre flourishes and it seems that everyone from...

Almost everyone has heard the old 'picture the audience in their underwear' routine. If that doesn't work for you, here are some ways to kick stage fright off the stage before it kicks you.

Theatrical lighting illuminates the stage so the audience can see the performers, but it does a lot more. Lighting serves an invaluable role in accentuating the mood of the play, enhancing the...

Most of the time, it's not difficult to distinguish between an old piece of metal and a new one. Factors like rust, dirt and the changes metal working techniques make the difference easy to spot. ...

Mylar is a trade name for bopet (biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate) polyester film. Also known as Melinex or Hostaphan, this transparent, durable material is used in food storage,...

Schools and organizations with auditorium performance spaces eventually will need to replace outdated lighting equipment with modern, sophisticated fixtures. Retrofitting auditorium lighting...

Theater production designers have been manipulating the way lighting instruments illuminate the stage about as long as controlled lighting has been a part of theater history. What began as a...

There are a great many stage plays and musicals that call for rocky locations, from Shakespeare's classic "The Tempest" to the popular musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." ...

Its simple and quick to make fairy wings for a costume using supplies you probably have at home already! These work great for kids or adults alike

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...

Theatrical lighting helps to illuminate the actors on stage and set the scene. It does this through the use of varying brightness and color. The way that lighting designers change the color of...

It's important to understand how to embody the character's attitude but also the attitude of the society in the character lives in. The latter is most often lost regarding the wearing of swords....

You were always a class clown growing up and as an adult you find that you are drawn to comedy. Everyone you know has always told you that you could be a stand up comedian because of your sense...

Puppets are a great addition to any story teller's toolbox. They help to bring tales to life, interact easily with any audience and can create enormous amounts of humor with just a small move or...

Comedy improv is short for comedy improvisation, which is one method stand-up comedians often employ in their routines. Despite of the meaning of the word, not all comedy routines are...

If you love Broadway, then you have probably seen a number of different plays. As you know, each play begins with a play script. Scripting a play is not a simple matter. Hard questions of plot and...

The structure of theatrical plays dates back to Aristotle's Poetics, written in the 4th Century BC. The Greeks created the three-act dramatic structure. This structure has been modified over the...

Like most large props and set pieces, the best fake fireplace for a stage production is one that's lightweight yet looks real. Achieving this affect requires creating a realistic stone texture in...

Like most modern plays, Rodgers and Hammerstein's World War II era musical "South Pacific" has its own special properties needs. While most of the items needed for this play can be collected or...

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...

As far back as the Elizabethan period in theater history, production designers have been achieving special effects with the use of hidden trap doors on the stage. Trap doors can produce a...

Creating a realistic set is key when performing scenes that take place in the ocean. Because actors can not actually be underwater, it is extremely important to build a set that will be easily...

Chimney sweeping brushes are an oft-needed theater prop required for plays, particularly those set in 19th century London. Chimney brushes are not a common commodity and, thus, are rarely...

One of the most common outdoor settings for a play is a street scene. Visually suggesting a street in the small space of a theater stage can be done in a number of ways, depending on your budget...

Whether it be for a school play or to get out of a speeding ticket, tears come in handy. Remember when you were little and you got in trouble, all you had to do was cry to get out of it. As an...

Making yourself look older is the most common makeup effect actors need to do for themselves. It's a very useful skill and the technique is the same no matter how many years you are trying to...

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...

Adding a lighting package to your band's show will improve your professional image and your showmanship. While professional light kits are available for less than $300 at many theatrical equipment...

Whether you're looking for a space to rehearse or plan to convert your entire basement into a performance venue, building your own stage comes with many rewards. While the obstacles can sometimes...