In theatrical productions, set elements plays a crucial role in engaging the audience and transporting them into the setting – whether it’s a modest apartment in the French Quarter of New Orleans (A Streetcar Named Desire) or a magical land filled with enchanted creatures (Wicked). In addition to adding interest, set elements also have an important safety function. Engineering effective set elements requires carefully considering the safety of actors, stage technicians, and the audience.
Purdue University’s Prequalified Structures for the Stage course teaches students how to use prequalified construction techniques to ensure that the scenery they build is safe and strong, without the need for mathematical engineering analysis. The course, which is offered online, is designed to help theater teachers, designers, and engineers build effective set elements that will add to the magic of stage productions without compromising on safety.
“Often, to create the world we want to create, we need to build platforms and other structural elements—to extend an existing stage, to create a second level for actors to perform on, to fill an orchestra pit,” said Rich Dionne, associate professor of practice and faculty technical director for Purdue’s Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering. “Knowing structurally sound construction techniques, and understanding how they work, makes the difference between scenic elements that support the story—and the actors—and scenic elements that fall down and put everyone at risk.”
Engineering Safe Set Elements
Building safe set elements is crucial for the success of a theater production and the well-being of the cast and crew, but set engineering can be complicated, and many theaters are working with limited resources and experience. In some environments, sets are built by personnel without prior training in construction and engineering. If the construction isn’t safe, the results can be disastrous. The CDC estimates that there are over a thousand injuries every year related to the theater.
One of the most crucial elements of building safe sets is understanding the load, or weight, that raised platforms and other set elements can safely hold. Putting too much weight on a platform that is not reinforced correctly can result in a stage collapse, which can cause injuries to cast, crew, and audience members. In 2011, a stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair killed seven people. The stage collapse was the result of a strong storm damaging the stage’s temporary roof structure and blowing it into the audience.
Purdue’s Prequalified Structures for the Stage course teaches participants how to understand loads on raised platforms and other structures. Using an approach that doesn’t require any deep mathematical analysis, the course also explains why common construction techniques work to safely support those loads, why those techniques need to be followed closely, and how to extend those techniques to nontypical applications.
“If you’ve built any scenery before, you’ve likely encountered the 2x4-framed, 4x8 platform, but do you really know how the weight of actors is transferred through the frame to supporting legs? How many legs do you need? How tall can you build a platform using 2x4 legs? This course introduces you to all of these concepts, and more,” Dionne said.
Other topics covered in the course include understanding structural considerations, sheet goods, stick lumber, framing, legs and supports, 2x4-framed platforms and stressed-skin panels (“triscuits”), as well as pre-manufactured platforming. Students who complete the course will be able to identify how construction is done in a theater environment, why stage elements are built the way they are, and the safety concerns that come with building stage elements.
“Knowing why the scenic elements I build work has meant I can watch a production I’ve worked on with complete confidence, confidence grounded in proven engineering principles and construction practices,” Dionne said. “Using—and understanding—prequalified approaches to construction leads to safer scenery and peace of mind.”
To learn more about Purdue’s Prequalified Structures for the Stage Course, including how to register, please visit the program’s webpage.