Creating a mini theatre

MatthewB · 1 Jan 2013

As you can see from my other thread I'm a novice. As you can also see from that, I never did it! I need to create the following, and I have tomorrow morning to do it in. Please could you advise what kind of wood/lengths/etc you would use in this situation?

NOT TO SCALE
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Audience enter through the 80cm door. They then turn left and arrive in the seating area (top) They need to be able to see the stage (behind red line) but not through the green line. I therefore need a covering of some kind, door, hanging cloth etc to cover the green line. The red line I need to have some curtains supported on. The 2 curtains are both 150 x 100 cm, but are not on any kind of track/rail yet. Manual opening/closing is fine. The purple line is optional, and would serve as a barrier to stop the audience seeing into the side passage/doorway, which would be used for actors going off stage (through the same 80cm doorway). The blue line needs to hide from view a storage area, which would come out from the left hand wall about a metre.

I need this tomorrow! If anyone could tell me what they recommend I buy, I will be going to B&Q in the morning.

Many many thanks

Anima · 2 Jan 2013

2x4 is probably what you need for the frames. It's cheap, sturdy and re-usable. Screw it together with some 4in screws and it will be fine.
Either nail some cheap, thin fibre board to the frames to make panels or stretch black cloth over them and staple. I would recommend the fibre board as it will help with rigidity and you may be able to see through the weave on stretched cloth with lighting behind it.

Good luck

Phil Pascoe · 2 Jan 2013

Sorry, my brain goes off track quite often. But not this far.

Tinbasher · 2 Jan 2013

You don't say what height the walls are but I would think 2400 is a minimum.

You need to break it down into managable "flats" utilising standard off the shelf sizes to minimise cutting. 2400 x 1200 hardboard sheets framed by 50x25 will probably suffice but if you want it to be more robust then 50x50.

Back wall (top on your sketch) 2 flats @ 2400 x 1200
Front wall (bottom on your sketch) 2 flats @ 2400 x 1200
Right side wall two flats 2 flats @ 2400 x 1200 plus one flat 2 flats @ 24000 x 800
Left wall 1 flat @ 2400 x 900 / 1 flat @ 2400 x 780
Other flats and returns 2400 x whatever you need

You will need about 7 metres of framing for each 2400 x 1200 flat assumming sides - top - bottom and one central crossmember.

You can save time by joining the 8 corner flats with hinges so they open book like and fold for transportation. You could also use loose pin hinges to joint the centres if you can get them but you don't have time to make them.

As you admit to being a novice i assume you have only basic tools. You don't mention painting it. Unless you have helpers I don't think you're going to make this in a morning.

Good luck!