How to tape out a staircase...

[carebear3885q]

Hey all you SMs out there.
I have a question that I need help answering.
I'm currently preparing to start rehearsals for a show where the set is a 40'wide by 16'deep staircase. 12 steps with a platform on the top. Our rehearsal space isn't consistent and we will have time rehearsing on the set, but how do I tape this out? Our rehearsal rooms are no where near as large as the stage, however how can I provide the best guidance for blocking purposes.
ANy advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

[MatthewShiner]

Why wouldn't you tape out the stair case like it is in drawn on the ground plan?

What I am asking is, how much smaller is the rehearsal room then the space?

When shrinking the set to fit for the rehearsal room, I always recommend the following trick.  Get a piece of plexiglass that is big enough to draw the rehearsal room in the same scale your ground plan is drawn is in (1/2 or 1/4 inch).  Draw the walls, doors, and other architectural elements of the room on the plexiglass, which will allow you over lay this on top of of the ground plan and figure out the best way to lay out the room (which orientation, etc.)  Once your theater have a 1/4 and 1/2 scale version of these overlays, you can just keep with rehearsal locations. 

Anyway, take the overlay and discuss with the director.  He or she will have a the best idea on how they are going to use the space and where you can loose space and where you shrink areas.  And since the tape is just as much for the directed as the actor (and let's be honest, Actors often ignore the tape), I think the Director should get a vote in how we tape out.

[brdwayluver]

I usually tape it out so that as much of the set is represented in the taping as possible.  Then I make sure the director knows where the taping is different from the set. i.e. "you have 10 more feet here"  Get the taping as close as you possibly can in the space you have.

[bex]

When shrinking the set to fit for the rehearsal room, I always recommend the following trick.  Get a piece of plexiglass that is big enough to draw the rehearsal room in the same scale your ground plan is drawn is in (1/2 or 1/4 inch).  Draw the walls, doors, and other architectural elements of the room on the plexiglass, which will allow you over lay this on top of of the ground plan and figure out the best way to lay out the room (which orientation, etc.)  Once your theater have a 1/4 and 1/2 scale version of these overlays, you can just keep with rehearsal locations. 

If your rehearsal room is small enough (like mine is) an 8.5x11 sheet of transparency (for an overhead projector) works too.

I also agree with Matthew re: checking with the director.  There have been numerous cases when I've checked with a director and some element of the set that I was going to shrink or "gloss over" in the taping was something that they NEEDED in blocking (extra space upstage of a some scenic element, etc.).

[Thespi620]

Agreed with the above comments--double check with the director, and shrink what you can.

It sounds from your first post that the whole set is a staircase--if that is the case, and if a lot of action happens on the staircase, make sure that you have height/depth information ready for the first blocking rehearsals so that the actors have a sense of how much room they have on each step & how high they are stepping each time. 
I have had numerous actors ignore the taped out staircase and then get completely thrown off once the set is built, and that can affect timing/Qs.  Shame on them for ignoring the tape, but it's helpful to be able to say early on "remember you just stepped US onto the 3rd step which is 1.5' off the deck"--tends to help them realize what will eventually exist in the room before it's there.

[brdwayluver]

Agreed with the above comments--double check with the director, and shrink what you can.

It sounds from your first post that the whole set is a staircase--if that is the case, and if a lot of action happens on the staircase, make sure that you have height/depth information ready for the first blocking rehearsals so that the actors have a sense of how much room they have on each step & how high they are stepping each time. 
I have had numerous actors ignore the taped out staircase and then get completely thrown off once the set is built, and that can affect timing/Qs.  Shame on them for ignoring the tape, but it's helpful to be able to say early on "remember you just stepped US onto the 3rd step which is 1.5' off the deck"--tends to help them realize what will eventually exist in the room before it's there.

I alway make sure I remind the actors about where the steps are and to make sure they are taking  each step as they walk the stairs.  Never hurts to give a friendly reminder.  When I did Noises Off it was imperative that the actors hit every single step for timing purposes.

[babens]

Let's face it, there are just some "staircase" shows that you should just plan extra time on the set if at all possible, because no matter how careful the actors are about "hitting every step" there is still a major difference between doing that on a flat plane and doing it in real life.  Then you have the shows like The Will Rogers Follies where the dancers may be where they need to be, but once they are up on those staircases all the formations look off due to the new perspective and a lot of adjustment still needs to be made by the choreographer.

[MatthewShiner]

But seriously, if the staircase is that bloody important, why not get a rehearsal one . . .

[babens]

Well, in the case of The Will Rogers Follies I did (oh so many years ago), we were bouncing between four different dance studios (in two different buildings on the campus of the college this theatre operated out of) for the first two weeks of rehearsal.  While we were able to get on the set for the final two weeks, a rehearsal staircase the size we would have needed (about 32 feet across with 12 steps up, the tread on each one being 18") was just not a reality, especially carting it between the dance studios, which also needed to function as classroom space when we were not in them.

[MatthewShiner]

But again . . .

Here's where I really want to step back and ask the bigger question . . .

If the staircase is SOOOOOOO important to the blocking of the show, then why couldn't the production manager work it out so you could have ONE rehearsal room with the rehearsal staircase?

It's interesting.  I think that often Production Managers/Production Supervisors often put together the production of "least resistance" and then pass on that production onto the stage manager, who sort of sits there going "WTF?". 

I was in a situation where the production manager didn't talk to me or the direction and made assumptions about rehearsal hours, days and preferences, and books rehearsal rooms based on that . . . and ended up booking rooms that were totally unusable for us . . . when one phone call to either of us could have save time, saved money, and been better for the production in the long run.

(Sorry, this is sort of my rant about the part of the production that happens long before we step on . . . )

[Kait-e]

I just finished a "staircase" show. Except, it was a bunch of risers at varying angles with books piled on them. So even using the floor plan to tape out each step very carefully in a series of colours, it was nothing like the real deal with varying levels and the occasional wobbly book or cracks between books for heels to get caught in. (600 books, 500 of which made from plywood for sturdiness... 6 week build)
The rehearsal space was also a daily-used classroom. Storage space would be awkard. I didn't have 2hrs/day to waste in setup/takedown. So we just guessed away with our little bits of tape and spent an entire day in the shop as soon as the "staircase" was finished, working on adjusting blocking etc. (also discovering some unexpected vertigo).

Other step units I've had to tape out I just put stripes of tape where the edges of the steps went and told the actors what they were looking at. Too many designers like to make "unique" steps that look very odd when flattened, which is part of why we generally try to have the 3D scale model present at the first rehearsal and as frequently thereafter as possible.