DG 1110.3.120
DESIGN GUIDE: MUSIC AND DRAMA CENTERS
JANUARY 1981
CHAPTER 3: ACCESS
gon have included belts and turntables, both
walls and sophisticated rigging systems will
of which impose scene design and technical
alone take care of these issues. Without fore-
limitations that should not be first choices for
thought, half this equipment will be underutil-
new construction.
ized, purchased at the expense of vital needs,
leaving many of the problems unsolved. Plan-
b. Vertical Access
ners should invest enough time to thoroughly
Where site conditions or other considerations
model and enact on paper the entire sequence
warrant bi-level facilities, planning require-
of every production activity envisioned.
ments are not unlike those for direct horizontal
loading except in the matter of expense. It may
In part, this planning relates to support facilities
be that loading can be accomplished at stage
(workshops, storage, dressing, warm-up, con-
level where other facilities, such as repair
struction-rehearsal-performance conflicts), in part
shops or rehearsal rooms, are below stage.
to the intended primary use of the Room, and in
Frequent use of a trapped stage or orchestra
part to external factors dictating the physical re-
pit can require a piano lift in the pit or stage
lationship of building zones, site access, facility
floor. Additional substage activities will justify
sharing, and budget constraints.
a freight elevator.
a. Horizontal Access
Loading at other than stage level poses prob-
The path of loading onto stage should be plot-
lems because of the vertical clearances needed.
ted from the receiving area (truck dock), stor-
Truly bi-level facilities have great floor-to-floor
age area and workshop for continuous clear-
heights and large-platform, multi-cylinder lifts.
ance in height and width and preferably on
Where level changes are smaller, but too large
one level. loading is usually from the side of
to navigate in 10% maximum ramps, instal-
the stagehouse opposite the pinrail or counter-
lation of cruder pneumatic or screwjack lifts
weight pit, but occasionally through the back-
may be feasible in the loading area. It is most
wall. Loading through the backwall needs a
important to define real needs; there are great
deep stage, careful placement of gridiron col-
differences in cost and application of motor
umns, scheduling of deliveries so as not to
driven cable hoists, screwjack and pneumatic
interfere with sets on stage, and maintenance
piston mechanisms, geared freight elevators,
of actors' crossover passage during perfor-
and oil-hydraulic cylinder lifts. Second thoughts
mance. Loading from the pinrail side requires
will usually reveal a simpler, equally satisfac-
a very high pinrail and weight gallery with spe-
tory solution.
cial line systems and weight hoists.
Scene changes in the vertical mode refer to
No loading door should be less than 8' x 8',
flyloft capabilities, although very lightweight
and for theaters, 10' wide by 14' high is not
properties may be hoisted from a catwalk grid
exceptional. Consider the longest batten in cal-
over an open stage, using rope lines tied off
culating turning chords of indirect passages.
at a pinrail or at the catwalk rails. Fly systems
Road shows or use of a remote scene shop
require a stagehouse more than twice as high
make loading direct from trucks important.
as the proscenium, in order that flown sets can
Provide a receiving vestibule or weatherhood
be withdrawn from line of sight.
at the dock. Allow sufficient indoor space to
completely unload a truck, with clearance re-
Evaluating possible combinations of flown
maining to reload it with material already on
and/or horizontal scene handling suggests that
stage-about 400, but not less than 300 square
a well-developed fly system is in order for
feet.
most new Army MDC's. In a generous stage-
house, elements of horizontal systems can be
Scene changes can be handled horizontally, as
employed to advantage, but full development
in open stage configurations, by a variety of
of both methods entails an enormous stage-
means. The use of scene wagons requires am-
house volume, high costs and technical wrin-
ple working space surrounding the perfor-
kles that may be self-defeating. On the other
mance area for the advance and withdrawal of
hand, conversions of existing spaces are most
sets. The more space, the more varied the
successfully approached as open-stage Rooms
complement of sets can be. A considerable
having generous offstage working area.
amount of construction work must take place
on stage or in a closely related shop. Modular
Loft rigging with wire lines and counter-weight
set design should be coordinated with wagon
sets is discussed more completely in Section
arrangements. Such sets are difficult to store
3-8 and Chapter 4. In general flown sets have
for long periods. Variations on the scene wa-
the advantage of traditional techniques most
3-60
Previous Page
