Making one-to-four scale models of baroque stage machinery

Aims

The project will:

• Introduce the functioning of Baroque stage machinery
• Give better insights into the mechanical principles involved
• Demonstrate the real-life issues with mechanics (friction, inertia, and so on)
• Inspire you to use traditional techniques in contemporary applications

Key Information

Number of learners	Groups of 2 – 5 students
Number of staff	1 teacher
ECTS Credits (if applicable)	Not applicable

Learning process

	Lecture/seminar	Lecture, presentation, discussion (face-to-face or online)
X	Making project	Making a model, mock-up, plan or design (physical or digital)
	Performance project	Making a performance or demonstration (live or mediated)
	Records and Archives	Interviews, photographs and videos of artefacts, annotating archives, creating learning materials (physical or digital)
	Independent study	Reading, researching, analysing and evaluating learning materials (physical or digital) in groups or alone

Type of learner

X	Student of technical theatre
X	Student of theatre design, architecture
X	Student of theatre arts
X	Professional
X	Researcher
	General public

What You Will Need

Duration and schedule

The duration depends on the how far the setup is already prepared.

Setting up a system takes 3 to 4 hours.

Rigging and testing, which is the core of the exercise, takes about 30 min – 1 hour per system, depending on the type of system.

Room or type of space

A theatre studio or construction workshop, or other space where equipment can be suspended from the ceiling.

Equipment

This workshop is equipment intensive, but most of the equipment can easily be made in a basic workshop or ordered in a CNC workshop (see Additional Information and Resources, below).

• Ropes of different sizes
• Different types of pulleys (ceiling attached, fixed on ground, … )
• Cleat rail or other attachment system
• Small counterweights
• Scale drum and shaft
• Scale winch
• Scale multiple speed drum
• Wooden sticks (scale battens)
• Fly rail
• Fly wagon
• Stage structure (some rostra/risers or similar)
• Ladder

Optionally, some scale scenery

Materials (consumables)

• A range of screws and fasteners

Learning resources (books, websites)

Canonbase articles:

• J.01 Reconstructing the Past: The stage machinery of the Colosseum
• A.04 The Transforming Stage: Synchronised scene changes
• Photographs of the Bourla Theatre wooden stage machinery

Other resources:

• Sonrel, Pierre. Traité de la Scenography

Process

Preparation

Setting up the system(s)

• Each mechanical system can be set up separately or as a complete model, as required.
• This is done only once and stays the same for different groups.
• The basic techniques are:
  • Stage wagons
  • Cassettes
  • Elevators
  • Hemp flying system with battens
  • Person flying system with wagon

Prepare an introduction to historical techniques

Prepare a safety briefing.

Credits

This learning method was made by:	XXX
Institution:	XXX
Thanks to:	XXX