Theater

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...

Black light puppet shows are increasingly popular forms of puppetry that use technology to create a visually interesting art form. One of the chief advantages of black light puppet theater is that...

Portable stage units are a necessity for any theatre organization that wants to go on tour or compete in educational theatre competitions and festivals. While there are sophisticated and expensive...

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,...

Makeup has been a part of the theatre as long as theatre has been a part of world culture. Painting the face has always been a way to convey character. But stage "greasepaint," made of heavy...

Several stage musicals call for a car on stage, especially "Greas," where the car is the center of much of the action. An important consideration is how real the car needs to be. If actors do not...

A well-known principle in the theater is that if a mirror must appear on the stage, handling it with care is important. This isn't to fend off the threat of seven years of bad luck but to avoid...

A great aspect of live theater is that it can be done anywhere. All you need are a few actors, props, costumes and a place to perform. If you are planning on taking your show on the road, you may...

Of all the elements in a theatrical production, lighting may be the most important. While it's possible to do a play without a set or intricate costumes, you will not be able to see your actors...

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...

Cabaret theater can be one of the most lucrative forms of live performance. Part of the attraction is the seating, since it is more comfortable than auditorium seating. The seating plan at a...

Good sound is very important to achieving a professional performance result. Flying microphones over the stage area to amplify sound from a chorus or an orchestra is a common practice but careful...

When you watch television and you see some famous actress, actor, singer, or even a Politian, it is sometimes hard not to wonder how they could ever get in front of so many people and not be...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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." ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

While a great number of texts may exist on stage lighting, from those of Stanley McCandless and Steve Shelley, to "The Stage Lighting Handbook," oftentimes experience alone remains the best...

A Certain cartoon lion from the 60’s used the catch phrase “Exit, stage left!” When you’re rehearsing a play stage directions are a little more involved but they are easy to learn and work with....

Actors are integral to the production process. While a theatre performance includes many different elements in its creation: lights, setting, costumes, props, stage rentals, and numerous long...

Producing a play on your own requires a tremendous amount of resources (not all of them necessarily monetary!). Whether you have a script of your own that you want to see played out upon the...

Whether it’s your dream to design the lights for a Broadway musical, or just create a basic light plot for your local community theatre, there are a basic set of tools that can get you started.

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...

There are eight basic types of lighting instruments for the stage: follow spots, "intelligent" lights, three types of "broad-brush" lights (cyc, scoop and border lights), general "wash" PAR...

Who doesn't love Broadway? The lights, the costumes, and the worlds recreated on stage have made New York a mecca for true aficionados . Actors and actresses from all over the world can be seen on...

Stage lighting is a vital component of any performance. Music concerts, theatrical productions and presentations all rely on effective lighting to enhance the experience. Various fixtures,...

Stage lighting is used to make what appears on stage visible to an audience. Through focus, stage lighting can direct an audience's attention to a certain part of the stage, while using a certain...

Choosing the right colors can make a tremendous impact on the mood and ambiance of a stage area. Through a proper selection of the various "warm" and "cool" gel colors, a lighting designer can...

Marionettes have dazzled the stage for millenniums, literally, with some of the earliest string operated puppets appearing as early as 2000 B.C. in Ancient Egypt. During the 15th century,...

Many children enjoy putting on puppet shows. They enjoy pretending they are someone else with the use of a puppet, and they enjoy being creative in thinking up a plot for their puppet story....

One of the most popular programmable lighting effects utilized in large-scale productions is that of the 'shimmer effect'. Providing both an ambiance and aura of magic to a given scene, the effect...

Though it may appear simple, stage lighting design is a complicated process that requires a crew of people to generate. From conception to the show's opening, lighting design requires a precise...

The word "upstage" can be defined in several ways, but most have to do with a physical stage in a live theater or the attitudes associated with the dramatists that populate them.

While the performers may be the only ones visible in a musical, there are many people working behind the scenes to make sure the show will go on as intended. Here are several musical theater job...

Stage makeup, also known as theatrical makeup, is makeup actors apply before going onstage to perform. Makeup specifically for theater and stage contains more pigment than regular makeup,...

Hand-puppets are great fun for children at home, especially on rainy or snowy days. In the classroom this project is a wonderful way to encourage the imagination and students' social skills....

The theatre can be a wonderful place for children to make friends and develop their imaginations. Children, like adults, need to be educated in the basics of acting and have a sense of how to...

The choice of audition clothing is very important. Although your performance skills will ultimately determine whether you get the job, the clothes you choose say a lot about you. If you are going...

Lighting is one of the most powerful special effects at work in modern theater. It is not only necessary for the audience to see the actors, but shapes how they feel about the entire play. Through...

Stage lighting is an integral part of any performance. Whether it's a music concert, play, comedy show, or presentation, lighting enhances the experience. In situations where stage lighting is not...