Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1984 - 17

TECHNICAL REPORT

"Greased Lightning"
by Stancil Campbell
Since its release, Crease has become
a popular production for many theatre
organizations. While the show has few
scenic demands-it can be staged on a
bare platform-it does have one real
"clinker" of a requirement: "Greased
Lightning"-Kenickie's car. Described
as a "hunka junk" painted in "candyapple primer," it is essential for two
scenes and a couple of musical numbers.
While it may be possible to find a
vintage car, one in that condition and
color is unlikely. Furthermore, getting
a full-sized car into a theatre and maneuvering it on a stage is difficult. One
solution is to build the car. There are
various methods-one community theatre built a Styrofoam model over a
golf cart. Our solution at the University of orth Carolina - Greensboro was
quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive.
Our "Greased Lightning" was
based on a plastic model of a 1950 Ford
convertible purchased at a toy shop.
The first step was welding together a
steel frame using 2" x 2" x # 16 gauge
tubing for the main structure and
I"x I"x #16 gauge for the boxed-in
areas of the engine compartment, passenger compartment, and trunk. For
greater maneuverability, we built the
frame for a 15 '-long version-substantially smaller than the full-sized Ford.
The next step was to cover the body
with thin sheets of scrap Styrofoam.
We arranged for an insulation company
to spray the unit with urethane foam.
In the construction, we allowed for a 4"
Materials

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FRAME
CONSTRUCTION

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to 6" top surfacing of foam. The spraying took about an hour and the control
was so careful that much of the shaping
and molding was achieved in this spraying step, thus saving sculpting time later
on. The final step for the body was a
weekend of shaping the urethane to
match the styling of our 1950 Ford
model. The surface was finished with
white glue and cheesecloth. A more
permanent body could have been made
simply by layering up resin and fiber~
glass (polyester resin will not dissolve
the urethane foam as it does
Styrofoam).
The final assembly of "Greased
Lightning" included the addition of
pipe axles mounted so they turned with
the wheels (see drawing). Automotive
12" wheels and tires were used. A seat

Cost (1983)

80'0" I x I by # 16 gauge square tubing
5) 20.00
32 '0" 2 x 2 by # 16 gauge square tubing
22.00
36.00
2 sheets Yz" plywood (seat, noorboard)
2 gallons white glue
10.00
cheesecloth
10.00
bumper, lights, misc. trim. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
25.00
free
4 tires and wheels
311" Styrofoam scraps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
free
urethane foam (contracted insulation company)
200.00

was added along with a steering wheel
and rearview mirror for the interior
decor. Exterior trim consisted of real
chrome bumpers (fashioned from junkyard parts not from a 1950 Ford but recut and welded to give the Ford appearance), headlights, grill, and taillights.
Since the mounting of the axles precluded any steering mechanism, the car
was pulled across the stage with a small
invisible cable following a straight path
for the two scenes. While the audience
was fully aware that the car was not actually being driven by the actors, nonetheless they accepted "Greased Lightning" as the real thing.
0
Stancil Campbell is on the design faculty at the University of Alberta and is
Technical Director for the Colorado
Shakespeare Festival.

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AXLE
ASSEMBLY

TOTAL $323.00
SITT / Fall

198~/Theatre

Design & Technolog)'

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