5.2: Construction Materials

Lumber

Plywood and other sheet goods are important building materials for scenic construction. Plywood are made up of sheets of material that have been manufactured as a strata of layers, or “veneers.” These thin layers of wood have been peeled off long logs and then laid in a stack with the wood grain of each layer running perpendicular to the layer above and below. As wood is strongest along its grain fibers, crossing the grains adds strength to the ply. These layers are pressed and glued together, making for a very strong sheet of lumber. More layers add thickness to the ply, making it capable of supporting a greater load. Theatrical platforms are generally skinned with a sheet of plywood at least ¾-inch thick to support the weight of the actors and scenery. Sheet goods also include decorative items such as paneling and materials like MDF (medium density fiberboard), which are not good materials to support weight, but have other qualities that can be useful in construction. Generally, in the United States, sheet goods are sold in panels of 4 feet by 8 feet.

Plywood is graded based on both the finish of its outermost veneers and the quality of the woods that make up its inner plies. If you want a smooth sanded surface with no mars to the wood grain, you need to purchase higher-grade plywood. Low-grade plywood may have “holidays,” or holes, in their veneers, including the exterior layers.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Common plywood grade chart

Consider This To glue or not to glue? It is a good question. If you are constructing stock scenery that has elements that will either take abuse or have questionable safety or stability, then YES, glue. If, however, the construction is decorative, and you want to recoup the materials for later use, then glue will only make the job harder.

Modern scenery includes many of the architectural elements and details we use every day, like appliances that need to work, windows that will be opened, or a sink with running water. These are called practical. Doors are the most common practical element of scenery. They often need to function normally, but also stand up to some abuse called for by the script, which can range from hard knocking to full forced entry attempts. It can be a challenge for carpenters to support and reinforce these elements within an environment of temporarily constructed flat walls.

Many scripts call for a variety of locations to be represented within the same play. Scene designers work to find ways to transport their audience from one location to another without taking massive breaks in the action to achieve the changes. A number of rolling platform elements, known as wagons, can help streamline these transitions by transporting large props and scenery on and off the stage quickly. A variety of wagons are common to scenic design. A large turntable wagon that can spin to reveal a new setting is called a revolve. Some theatres are equipped with a built-in revolve that is permanently installed as part of their stage floor. Platform wagons that pivot onstage from a fixed point in the wings are called jackknife platforms. Straight run platform wagons roll either upstage to downstage or in and out of the wings. The wheels that these wagons operate on, known as casters, are either fixed casters or swivel casters. A fixed caster can only roll along a straight path, while swivel casters allow units to be rolled in any direction. Sometimes these wagons are guided by a track built into the stage floor.

Scenery construction methods and choice of materials vary from theatre to theatre, but standards for construction are important for every company. Standard construction methods greatly increase safety and reliability, and items built-in the same manner tend to fit together easily without modifications.

Many theatres work primarily in wood, which is relatively inexpensive and malleable. Some shops work in metals as well, though separate working spaces are often required for metal construction due to the inherent fire danger. Simple theatrical construction does not typically involve intensive wood joinery, but instead relies on abutted joint, or butt joint, construction methods. When working with lumber, it is important to understand the “true” or actual dimensions of the lumber in order to correctly figure the lengths needed to be cut for a project. Lumber is sold by what we refer to as a nominal dimension. Nominal dimensions are the sizes to which each piece of lumber was rough cut at the mill.

Note

Most Dimensional Lumber is sold in their indicated nominal dimension. However their true literal dimension is often quite different.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Nominal lumber sizes and actual material dimensions

The lumber we buy at our local supplier has then been put through a series of finishing machines that have cut the lumber into consistent rectangular planks and sanded away the rough edges. This process removes some of the wood and leaves us with a piece whose actual dimension is significantly smaller than its nominal dimension. Scene shops regularly work with sticks of lumber we refer to as “one-by-three” to build flat frames, but the carpenters must remember those pieces actually measure ¾ inch by 2½ inch.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Material removed from nominal lumber sizes

Fasteners

Unless you are constructing stock scenery, most theatrical construction is temporary. It must be safe and durable, but after the show closes, we would like to recoup as much of the material as possible for reuse. Using screws as a primary fastener allows us to construct and deconstruct with little damage to the materials. Battery powered driver drills have made the use of screws rather than nails or staples a reasonable alternative for construction. Drywall screws, which are hard and sharp, have become widely used in theatre construction because they are faster to work with than woodscrews and have better adhesion than nails. However, they are brittle and are can be prone to breaking.

Nuts and bolts are also heavily used for theatre construction. A wide variety of bolts are available. Carriage bolts and hex bolts are the most common to theatre.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Fastener chart

For Further Exploration Raoul, Bill. 1998. Stock Scenery Construction : A Handbook. Louisville, KY: Broadway Press. International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. n.d. Accessed August 16, 2018. http://www.iatse.net/.

Remix

This chapter was updated and remixed from content created by

• 
• Tal Sanders
• Pacific University via Tualatin Books (imprint of Pacific University Press)