Set Design and Construction: tombs, coffins and crates...oh my!

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tombs, coffins and crates...oh my!

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3386
Printed Date: 11/24/24 at 9:01am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: tombs, coffins and crates...oh my!

Posted By: joanna
Subject: tombs, coffins and crates...oh my!
Date Posted: 8/26/08 at 2:13pm

hello- we are doing a production of Dracula and need to construct a coffin or tomb, and perhaps a large crate...

I have a very limited knowledge of stage craft...help please?

the tomb has to be big enough to fit the actor with enough wiggle room to safely mime beheading... and it if it could have a lid that would be great!

thanks!

Replies:

Posted By: kaelidancer
Date Posted: 8/26/08 at 10:21pm

I'd say in cases such as this, styrofoam is your best friend. You can build a general structure out of lumber, and then skin it with styrofoam (or even skin it with lauan, and then styrofoam that if you want a little extra support).
When working with styrofoam, attach it using white glue! Just using screws won't cut it.

I usually white glue, and then use screws with sizeable washers on them (so they grab more of the surface), being very careful not to go too far into the foam. That provides a pretty sturdy anchor while the glue sets. Painters tape will cover the spots where your fasteners are.

Once the styrofoam's all on, you can use spraypaint (it makes the styrofoam melt) to rough it up a bit, for a realistic stone look.

It'll work for the crate too, using strips of foam for the crate's crossbeams and such, and will be much lighter as a result.

That handles the construction end of things, the rest will come from paint. Just get familiar with rags and sponges, and google can help you find methods to create realistic stone and wood-grain textures.

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Kaeli Gardner
Johnson City Community Theatre
http://www.jcct.us - www.jcct.us
http://www.gardnerarts.com - www.gardnerarts.com

Posted By: joanna
Date Posted: 8/27/08 at 11:43am

great! thanks:)

Posted By: ahupke
Date Posted: 9/13/08 at 2:08am

As an alternative to spray paint.. you can use gray stone colored latex and mix in sand to the desired consistancy and this not only produce a predicable finish but it dries pretty quickly and makes the styrofoam tuff as heck. I used this all the time for headstones, and other stage stone components.

The only caution is it is messy to apply so where old clothes.

Alan

Posted By: gaftpres
Date Posted: 9/14/08 at 6:24pm

When I directed Dracula, I contacted our local funeral home. They had a casket that they use for transporting bodies from a hospital to the funeral home and let us borrow it. It had never been used and afterward I believe they used it for a display model for choosing caskets. etc. ANyhow, try your local funeral home, perhaps they may be able to help you out.

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Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!

Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 9/15/08 at 8:41am

Do me a favor, if you get a coffin, tell the actor it is new. I once was given a beautiful suit to wear as the Gov. of Texas in Whorehouse. When I asked where they got the suit they were very vague. I later found out they borrowed it from the Producer's brother who runs the local funeral home. He has a whole rack of suits for the corpses who dont have anything nice to wear. They put them on for the viewing and then take them off before the burial. They swore it had been dry cleaned but I still get the creeps thinking about that suit.

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Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

Posted By: joanna
Date Posted: 9/15/08 at 10:06am

Thanks for all the tips!

-and if we can get a coffin-I'll be sure to tell the actor the coffin is new! haha!

Posted By: kaelidancer
Date Posted: 9/15/08 at 10:44am

There's also this link here: http://wayneofthewoods.com/coffin%202.html - http://wayneofthewoods.com/coffin%202.html

Coffin plans! You can substitite a less expensive plywood... this is for a pretty professional finish, like you'd find in a bookshelf. For stage purposes, you don't need the whole 3 sheets of plywood he calls for. I'd just use the template to get all the dimensions and angles correct. I also recommend some foam in the bottom, for comfort.

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Kaeli Gardner
Johnson City Community Theatre
http://www.jcct.us - www.jcct.us
http://www.gardnerarts.com - www.gardnerarts.com

Posted By: gaftpres
Date Posted: 9/21/08 at 3:52pm

Ewwww. on the funeral suit, that would simply be gross. I am sure our casket was new...ugh ...

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Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!