Build Sets
for Plays
The sets that you build for plays are vital to the overall look and feel of the production. No matter how good the actors are, the audience will be distracted by sloppy workmanship and clashing colors. With that in mind, remember that what they will be seeing is a general impression, not the fine details. So don't worry if you aren't a master carpenter.
Instructions
1. Draw or sketch out how you want each set to look. Remember to include the furniture or props you will need in each set and where they will be on the stage.
2. Use your available space. A lot of small theaters are taller than they are wide. There is no reason not to use the vertical space. Don't build outside of the audience's frame, though. If they can't see it from the house, it won't matter. Also, if the lights won't hit it, it's practically invisible. Keep the important stuff in sight.
3. Put all the furniture that will be moved on and off the set on casters. If you can't put casters on the furniture itself, mount the piece of furniture to a plank with casters on it. This greatly speeds up set changes and minimizes noise. Just remember to use casters with locks and make sure the stagehands know lock them down properly. You don't want the sofa to move when the lead actress collapses onto it dramatically.
4. Build set pieces with cheap, easy to find parts. You don't have to buy every piece of furniture. For example, you can make barstools with round pieces of wood and padding upholstered with vinyl and screwed into standard steel pipe.
5. Use backdrops. Even if the theater you are using doesn't have fly space, you can roll your painted backdrop around a long, metal tube that you secure and release with ropes. Drops come down and go up faster than physical pieces of scenery can move on and off the stage.
6. Simplify. The fewer sets and set pieces a show has, the faster the scene transitions. Audiences get bored when they have to wait for the crew to move stuff on and off the stage. It breaks the momentum of the show.
7. Mind the details. You won't be able to see every tile or leaf from the audience, but the overall feel should be as realistic as possible. If the set is the living room of a house, for example, make sure to include things that make it look homey, like framed photographs, artwork on the walls or pillows on the sofa.
