Author Topic: SCENERY: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages  (Read 13184 times)

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PSMKay

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SCENERY: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« on: Apr 12, 2008, 05:03 am »
It's been a long time since we've had any new collections of tips.  Lately we've been mostly focusing on giving specific answers to questions, which is all well and good.  However, it's sometimes nice to just share what we've learned without the pressure of having to apply it to one specific member's question.

I'm hoping that this will be the first of a series of new open ended "Tips and Tricks" posts that will be starting throughout the boards in the coming months.

To start off, let's compare notes on dealing with raked (sloped) stages.  What tricks have you learned to make your life easier when your set designer or venue presents you with an uneven or slanted performance surface?
« Last Edit: Jun 09, 2009, 02:09 am by PSMKay »

KMC

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #1 on: Apr 12, 2008, 09:30 am »
One thing I learned is the sooner you can get the cast onstage the better.  This may seem obvious, but chances are you're going to be rehearsing in a flat rehearsal hall.  Getting adjusted to a slanted stage takes a bit of time, so it's good to allow your cast as much time as possible.

Along that same line - when you do get onstage, give your cast plenty of time to play around.  Make sure they are comfortable with their environment.  Give them lots of time to practice entrances, exits, any tricky blocking moments, etc...
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

zayit shachor

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #2 on: Apr 12, 2008, 11:03 am »
This may seem obvious, but chances are you're going to be rehearsing in a flat rehearsal hall.

During rehearsals, keep asking yourself (and your director), "Will this work on the rake?"  I found it more important for stage combat and for things like wheeled furniture or props that can roll off the stage.  (Like kmc said, it sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people will forget about the rake entirely.)

ewharton

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #3 on: Apr 12, 2008, 03:04 pm »
If it's going to be a long run, make sure you have the number of a reputable chiropractor. Working on raked stages for long periods of time can be hard on actors' backs and spines.


RuthNY

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #4 on: Apr 12, 2008, 05:32 pm »
If it's an Equity show, check to make sure the slant of the rank conforms with AEA's regulations covering rakes/inclined playing surfaces for that particular contract.  Also, please note, that some contracts require that the producer provide a qualified health care professional to instruct the cast on how to work on the rake, in order to avoid stress and injury.
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megf

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #5 on: Apr 12, 2008, 06:13 pm »
For the SMs on deck - if your track (or simply backstage traffic patterns) require that you spend a lot of time standing and/or spotting, try to stand with your body oriented upstage. It's easier on your back and joints, particularly over the long term (think of the difference between wearing high heels versus standing in sand).

ScooterSM

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #6 on: Apr 12, 2008, 06:20 pm »
Find out if there is any way to get the costume shoes for your actors as soon as possible once you are on stage, especially if there is any dancing.
“I've never been paid a lot, but the theatre has kept me, and for that I shall be eternally grateful.” Tony Church

Jessie_K

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #7 on: Apr 12, 2008, 08:52 pm »
Tip for dance that can apply to other genres:

While on tour in Italy (with tons of raked stages of various degrees), during warm-up/ stretching, my dancers would do their choreography on the reverse side to counteract the effects of overdoing one side due to the rake.

I hope that makes sense.

Tempest

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #8 on: Apr 14, 2008, 03:08 pm »
Seconding everything above, and adding my two cents:
Remember that actors will drop props, and you want to avoid them rolling down onto/into the audience if at all possible.  Check with the designers and construction crews for scenery to see about a small lip at the downstage edge, and makes sure the props department knows about the rake.  Small adjustments to props can make your life less of a nightmare and the audience safer.  Make sure all prop pens have those little clipy pieces of plastic, see if props can get square rather than round glasses, etc.
I did Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on a rake.  Brik's crutches on a rake = nightmare, and that actor also couldn't hold onto a tumbler to save his life.  Also, the children thought it was cute to "accidentaly" drop marbles from the pockets while on stage.  Ugh!
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Scott

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #9 on: Apr 15, 2008, 08:56 am »
Also, while you won't be doing the work yourself, it's good to keep in mind that the rake can increase the complexity of electric maintenance calls for work that needs to be done onstage.
« Last Edit: Apr 15, 2008, 01:29 pm by Scott »

Fitz

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #10 on: Apr 15, 2008, 03:26 pm »
We did Godspell on a raked stage once, and the set designer painted this fantastic mural on the stage floor.

When he was done the floor was pretty slippery, and the actors feet were sliding a bit during the dance numbers, so he mixed up a batch of some kind of clear lacquer with sand and painted a gritty top coat over it and we never had an actor lose their footing all through the run.

Also, the first time we got the actors up on the raked stage we immediately realized that it was a bad idea to have any of the women in heels so we quickly made some costume changes to have them all in flats.

Jessie_K

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #11 on: Apr 15, 2008, 04:00 pm »
We did Godspell on a raked stage once, and the set designer painted this fantastic mural on the stage floor.

When he was done the floor was pretty slippery, and the actors feet were sliding a bit during the dance numbers, so he mixed up a batch of some kind of clear lacquer with sand and painted a gritty top coat over it and we never had an actor lose their footing all through the run.


Many moons ago, when I was an intern, I worked on a production of Camille.  The floor was raked and painted with CAR PAINT.  Super shiny, super beautiful, super slippery.  We manged to literally stumble-through to opening night and then did a similar grit treatment.  I believe we used sand mixed with clear gloss paint.  Totally ruined the design, but stopped people from falling.

GalFriday

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #12 on: Apr 15, 2008, 07:02 pm »
The sand/paint mix is a great way to give the stage grip BUT if you have dancers be weary. I seriously yanked my knee once after a very helpful tech crew gritted a stage over the day off. Our Stage Manager did not inform us this had been done until after the house was open and we could not go onstage. I managed to plant a turn right in a big pile of sand. I was out for the rest of the show...and the next week. The stage was sanded and repainted by the following day.

Sometimes helpful needs to be thought through...grrr...

And Stage Managers need to communicate....what a concept.

"Now the best way to learn the theater, always, is to be a stage manager" - Stephen Sondheim

ljh007

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #13 on: Apr 15, 2008, 07:50 pm »
This might seem obvious or really be more the pervue of a PM, but:
Have a counter rake built and available.

This sloped construction, when placed on the raked stage, makes the stage flat again, so you can do things like place ladders/lifts for refocusing lighting instruments or adjusting set or hanging pieces. Usually this can be built from some pieces of heavy plywood and 2x4s.

Scott

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Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages
« Reply #14 on: Apr 16, 2008, 08:43 am »
This might seem obvious or really be more the pervue of a PM, but:
Have a counter rake built and available.

+1

They save a lot of time (though of course you still have to allow for time and crew for the counter-rake to be pulled out of storage, set in place, and removed when finished).