Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2011 - 28

from inventory, it is a necessary first step. In most state academic
institutions there are strict guidelines that govern disposal of state
resources, and BSU is no exception. Fortunately, the university's
inventory control officer, safety officer, and physical plant management were willing to work with the theatre program to meet inventory reduction goals and state mandates. Making use of existing
state and campus programs made this process much easier.
The philosophy of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle can be misconstrued, meaning scenic and decorative elements may be fabricated from existing objects or materials unsuitable to the actual goal
instead of purchasing the correct materials, supplies, or tools to
meet industry standards of construction. Goals of sustainability
must be balanced by an acknowledgement of the needs for guaranteed structural integrity and the aesthetic standards of the design goals. The next step in the process was to instill this sense of
balance in every project.
Broad operational practices have been put into place.
Whenever possible, scenic units are constructed in uniform
sizes to facilitate reuse. Instead of using the most common
construction techniques, technicians look for techniques that
make it easier to store and reuse materials. For example,
instead of making new stairs units with standard carriages that
must be kept intact, the flat frame riser construction illustrated
in Bill Raoul's Stock Scenery Construction Handbook
(Broadway Press, 1999), page 210, is now used. The steps can
be disassembled, and components stored flat at the end of the
show. Frames can be added or subtracted to make different
size stair units from existing pieces.
Specialty scenic items are also constructed only after planning how to take them apart after the show so they can be reused
in different configurations with different finishes. The units that
served as forty-foot-long horizontal ceiling beams in The Crucible were repainted and reconfigured for vertical wall timbers
in the scenic design for Man of La Mancha. These same scenic
elements were also repainted and reconfigured for use as architectural soffits above walls as part of the contemporary realistic
kitchen set for the next production.

Flat frame carriages, like the ones described in Stock Scenery Construction Handbook by Bill Raoul. These
replace conventional carriages and allow construction of any length run or straight or curved stairs.

specific Examples

xperimentation with recycled and more sustainable
materials has also been a part of the greening process. Man of
La Mancha was actually designated as a laboratory production
for this exploration. One concern for recycled paper fiber materials is the flame-retardant treatment. After 4,000 pounds of
seating risers arrived in cardboard cases, recycling this packing material became a significant part of the La Mancha experimentation. In November 2009, Rosco's line of FR treatment
products changed, and a product to treat paper/cardboard fiber products was added (see the Rosco website, www.rosco.
com, for more information).
Construction experimentation included testing the flammability of the treated cardboard and then attempting to use

it for curved facings, masking, decorative cutouts and even
as a flat covering. Tests determined that no additional coatings like Crystal Gel, Sculpt or Coat, or Flex Coat were needed
to maintain the integrity of the cardboard when painted as
long as the surface area was not enormous. Unfortunately,
the cardboard was unsuccessful as a flat covering because
of warping fibers over a large expanse. It worked beautifully
in every other application, particularly masking facings and
cutout facings where even a hard material would not have

theatre design

& technology

A stack of 4´ by 8´ stock platforms that have been reused in countless stage sets.

spring 2011

http://www.rosco

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2011