Stage Technologies

This is an introductory class about set building, painting, and properties in technical theatre.

Props

This assignment involved creating a hand-held prop. I chose to build a lantern, since I prefer projects that are more practical. After some research, I chose to replicate a lantern I found online.

I made some sketches to plan out which parts I would need to laser cut. Laser cutting is the easiest way I could think of to build something like this even though the original lantern was made of metal, because of the flat boxy shape of the lantern.

I used scrap circles in a stack to make a base, and glued rings together to make the top.

Before sanding, the lantern had straight, sharp edges. Some of the layers on the wood had peeled up, and the glue I used was visible in the joints. I sanded every edge to give it round corners and smooth transitions between each piece, to mimic the smooth curve of the metal lantern that this one was based on.

I used tracing paper to diffuse the light on the windows, and added a string of fairy lights inside the lantern. They are accessible through one of the windows, which comes off and is held on by magnets. I made a handle by bending wire through holes I drilled in the top.

Scene Painting

The assignment for this project was to recreate a surface from inside or around the university theatre building. I chose a rust stain on the front steps, over concrete. I used watered-down paint to mix colors on the surface more easily, and to splatter grey paint across it to mimic concrete texture.

I ended up using this project for the top surface of a simple workbench. I coated the painting in polyurethane and added 2x4 leg and cross beams.

Final Painting Project - Grid Enlargement

The purpose of this project was to practice the use of a grid to replicate a small image on a larger canvas. I chose an illustration inspired by one of my favorite movies, Nausicaa and the Valley of Wind.

I made a grid sketch in Onshape, and traced it over the image

Then I drew out the image on the canvas, using the grid to keep track of where each line went.

I labeled the grid to make it easier to find certain parts of the image and keep track of what I had already painted.

I then started to paint the scene, covering the grid and my pencil lines.

Final Construction Project

The constraints for this project were extremely open. I love practical projects, and I have always wanted to learn how to weld. So I chose to make a stool with metal legs and a metal frame for a wooden laser cut and engraved top.

I first modeled the stool on Onshape, giving it three legs and a symmetrical hexagonal structure. I then cut all the pieces I needed on a cold-cut saw.

I laser-engraved a sunflower image onto a hexagon of wood, and cut out two more layers that I glued all together to make a strong seat. The seat is screwed into the structure of the stool with 6 screws.

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