I am directing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and have questions about how to create the set.

 

First, let me describe our stage.  It is in a high school gym.  It's very old and small.  We have no fly space, no wing space, and only a front curtain.  I'm sure I hardly need to add that we are on a very low budget :)

 

My basic concept is a rather open stage with the essentials of a forest--trees, and hopefully a few levels.  The various locations will be represented by small, lightweight set pieces.  Here are my questions for now:

 

1.  I like the idea of projecting the White Witch's castle on a scrim, but we have no fly space.  We have a suspeded ceiling from which nothing can be hung.  Any ideas on how to support a scrim in such a situation?  In this sort of open setting would it look weird to have a scrim?  Also, could someone explain in very simple terms how to use a projector for this situation?  The only projector I have ever used was the one in high school math class that sat on my teacher's desk.

 

2.  I'd like to have a few levels to help indicate various locales.  I'm planning to use our show choir's portable risers (they come in 3 heights) but I would like to cover them somehow to look like the ground of the forest.  They are wooden with metal legs.  So far my only thought would be muslin dyed and draped over them.  We are not allowed to paint them or do any permanent to them.

 

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

1) For the risers you could put a chicken wire mold going over them and then paper mache and paint them to look like snow/ground. Make sure no one steps on them or they will break.

2) A cool idea would be to have it snow. This can be quite easily accomplished with a bubble-machine. We had one placed above our stage for 'The Wizard of Oz' and it made very small bubbles which ressembled snow. Being in a gymnasium, you could put them on platforms above the audience or the stage to have it snow on the audience or on the actors.

 

Charlie

We are going thru a similar problem, with our new refurbished venue.

Even though we had extensive discussions & agreement from the 'Daffodil Man', our extremely aesthetics Archy'tech.

We still have the ceiling, to which he put in an array of pot lights. Further he has used the roof void, above the stage. to house the air conditioning plant.

But we are prepared to work around that, by removing the pot lights. Utilising their circuits to give us Blue/show mode work lighting.

Also using the 2 RSJ's supporting the Air Con, to suspend a grid from.

Further over time the ceiling will go missing & do a 'walk about', some time or other?

So even in the worst gymeatres & conceived spaces, there is a lot that can be easily accomplished.

Back on topic, I'm not a great fan of plastic foam. In fact I hate the stuff, to the point I will chuck all of it in the rubbish bin.

With any flame, even utilising retardants, it will revert to it's original form of la liquid petrol product. Thus perpetuating any flames! It is great stuff for actually starting fires, as I'm sure most Pyro Maniacs will advise. If you don't peg out from the fumes, you will most certainly be flambéed!

Anyhow it is not that difficult or costly to make your own rostra's. I'm sure among your parents, you would find a Chippy or enthusiastic DIY bod.

They are simple to produce, on the gate leg principle. Which also fold away for storage, which takes only the same area,  as much as docking away flats.

This becomes a reusable resource, much the same as people, except they are not fed & watered.

I'd stick to using Calico [as you may call 'Muslin'] crumpled to represent snow drifts. adding wallpaper size or 'White PVA glue' [what ever brand is over there?] in the paint to firm it up.