On Golden Pond - Tricky Screen Door
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=4255
Printed Date: 9/09/24 at 1:08am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: On Golden Pond - Tricky Screen Door
Posted By: teejaystudio
Subject: On Golden Pond - Tricky Screen Door
Date Posted: 9/18/09 at 11:01am
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So for On Golden Pond, the screen door has to work, then fall off, then work then fall off again. We were thinking about using Velcro®, but then realize that it may not allow the door to actually work before (and after) it has to fall off the hinges. So, now we're thinking a coat hangar hinge pin (a thingamabobber) at the top which the stage manager could pull before the designated time for the door to fail and then reset it before the des. time for it to work again? Any experience with this issue would be Fan-tastick! (And we're doing that show next Summer!) Tom J - Assistant Director  teejaystudio@comcast.net |
Replies:
Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 9/18/09 at 11:33am
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As you have suggested, loose pin hinges are a possible and simple solution. ------------- David M |
Posted By: teejaystudio
Date Posted: 9/18/09 at 11:37am
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Guess I'm learning, then! YAY!!!! Thanks. |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/18/09 at 7:52pm
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Loode pin hinges, as yourself & David suggested;-
http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_T61700 - http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_T61700
Or produce your own from an ordinary butt hidges, by grinding off the orginal pin & replacing it with a pull pin. When you fit the hinges, a good idea is to hang a white lanyard cord, attached to the a hinge screw & the eye of the pin, so it is not lost in the dark & will always be handy & available.
I would not bother with velco, as it would be difficult to rest the door for ease of swing each time. ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 9/21/09 at 6:48am
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Just a suggestion but when I did this show - twice many years apart - we used the same routine. It never was attached until the second act when it's supposed to be working because NORMAN fixed it (finally). The several times it's used it is NOT supposed to work anyway namely when they first arrive, when Charlie shows up, when Ethel swats at moths, when Chelsea, Bill and Billy show up and at other times before the second act. The comedic part of that gag is that when Norman enters at the top of the second act from outside - to go wake up Billy to go fishing - the screen door finally works and the audience "gets it". It was ALWAYS a great laugh that it finally worked after having fallen off several times before Norman finally got around to making it work. But yes, the loose pin hinges are fine but not used necessarily until you "set" the screen door to work from the top of the second act forward. Simple old wooden screen door with hinges loose enough that it just falls over when he FIRST tries to open it when they arrive from outside via perhaps a set of double doors stage left. Then Norman crosses and pushes the door open and it falls off its hinges while Ethel is still out getting firewood.
At least that's how we did it. Others may have had different staging. Ours simply did not work since Norm is too lazy to fix it, until the second act.
TonyDi
------------- "Almost famous" |
Posted By: teejaystudio
Date Posted: 9/30/09 at 11:19am
That's a great idea. Thanks. |
Posted By: gaftpres
Date Posted: 10/08/09 at 9:31am
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We are producing On Golden Pond right now and are planning on using the same technique that you have done. Thanks for letting us know it will work that way prior to us trying it. ------------- Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled! |
Posted By: teejaystudio
Date Posted: 10/08/09 at 10:13am
Here's some tweaks we had to do last night. I will post pictures here when we are finished. Hope that is soon, we open next Thursday... !! 1. MUST mortise the hinges of the screen door into the door frame like you would for a home installation. Weight of door causes a fall when mounted externally to the frame . 2. Use the right kind of hinges. Don't use what you have in your hardware bucket or coffee can. Seriously. Once we used the new hinges most of the troubles went away. 3. We are only removing the pin from the TOP hinge and replacing it with a bent piece of bracketing from a peg board bracket since the falling is unpredictable when BOTH hinges are removed. We HAVE to have the door fall a certain direction. This also keeps the door somewhat intact for the run crew to rehang it as needed without making noise picking the door up and replacing it. PICTURES ARE COMING SOON |