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STAGE MACHINERY PROTOTYPE DESIGN WORK UNDERWAY IN THE UK
ConstellationCenter has begun research into theater stage machinery based on those used in seventeenth and eighteenth century Baroque theaters. The goal of this research is to take advantage of modern technology and materials to allow for spectacular effects and new staging capabilities in a variety of performances in ConstellationCenter’s Odeon. During a performance, scenes would be produced on a series of prepared panels supported on frames that will slide in recessed floor tracks. Early precedents for this type of machinery can be found at the historic theaters in Drottningholm, Sweden, and Ceský Krumlov, Czech Republic, where the stage machinery allows for quick changes of scenery during the performance with the curtain up. The ConstellationCenter team has visited these and other theaters to study this system in great detail.
“This system will produce an entirely new toolkit of staging options for today’s theater community,” said Mr. KnicKrehm, founder of ConstellationCenter, “including scene changes so rapid that it looks like a movie dissolve or sets with hundreds of independently moving elements.”
Design for this work has been done by Arup Venue Consultants of the UK. Several engineering and manufacturing companies in the UK and France have been selected to assist ConstellationCenter with this work. Currently, we are working closely on a prototype design and a series of mock-ups to define the parameters by which this system is to operate. One of the fundamental principals behind this stage machinery system is that there will not be a need for a high fly tower to conduct scene changes. Traditionally, this type of fly tower creates undesired effects with regards to acoustics by creating a volume of absorptive materials above the performance area. This is not consistent with the goals of ConstellationCenter, and therefore, is one reason why this particular aspect of study is so important to this project.
Preliminary findings from Arup's research were presented at the June 2007 Boston Early Music Festival. The design phase of this work has been completed and we anticipate that the first working prototype of a sliding panel will be produced in Fall 2007.
Contributions by David Silverman, Project Manager
And George Ellerington & Alex Wardle, Arup Venue Consulting
Track for shutter and groove
staging system
Team working on
prototype design in UK
161 First Street
Cambridge, MA 02142-1247
Tel 617.939.1900
Fax 617.939.1911