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Special Effects StageLight • 10% off Sale • How to measure for new curtains • Fabric Choices • How to order StageLight Inc., is a full service stage and studio equipment suppliers specializing in renovations for school theatres, churches, PAC’s, and other entertainment venues. We have factory trained technicians on staff for repair work and offer 24/7 emergency service. StageLight’s rental inventory includes equipment from leading theatrical lighting vendors such as ETC, Strand and High End Systems. We are the Southwest’s leading stocking distributor of lighting and scene shop supplies. For more information about StageLight contact us: Houston phone: 1.713.942.0555 toll free: 1.800.942.0555 fax: 1.713.942.0556 Visit us on the web at www.stagelight.com Curtains have a life span like so many other items in the theatre. Maybe you’re tired of trying to repair the holes, sick of looking at the stains on the cyc, or beginning to have safety concerns about some of your softgoods. On top of that maybe dry rot along the webbing and a little snag on some scenery has caused a leg or border to become unusable. Whether appearance or safety is your main concern, replacing your worn, torn, faded and otherwise aged and abused drapes is a piece of cake. There is no rocket science here and no need to fear anything. On the following pages we have included instructions on how to measure your drapes for replacement. We have also included basic information about materials and fabrication standards. Once you have had a chance to review the information, just fill in the quotation request on the back and fax it back to us. We will then price you the cost to replace those well worn drapes and send the price back to you via email or fax. As encouragement to replace your curtains now, all orders placed before May 31, 2001 will also receive an additional... We hope this information is helpful. If after looking over this information, you would still like us to inspect your curtains or measure for you, just give us a call. We will be happy to come out and visit with you. We look forward to working with you! What’s Next? To close out this academic year we will feature a How2 on lighting software for the theatre. Prominent among those is ETC/Cast Lighting’s WYSIWIG. What is WYSIWIG? In computer terms it has always meant “what you see is what you get.” In the early days of computing it meant what appeared on the screen was exactly what you would get in print. WYSIWIG from ETC/Cast Lighting is a very powerful tool for creating, programming and cueing shows. Depending on how involved and at what level you want to purchase, it can even diagnose problems with your equipment. There will be more on all this later as well as a look at Rosco’s Soft Plot and Light Shop plus John McKernon’s Lightwright III. 10% discount Let us know To help us better serve you we ask that you let us know if the HOW2 series is working for you. Is the information complete? Are there particular subjects you’d like to see a HOW2 cover? We also don’t want to overburden you with mail and we don’t want to be put in your junk mail category. If you would like to receive certain HOW2’s or if you would like to be removed from the mailing list, let us know by going to the StageLight web site (www.stagelight.com) and filling in the request form there. StageLight, Inc. phone 713-942-0555 w w w . s t a g e l i g h t . c o m Followspots Portable Systems Consoles this issue: Fixtures Spring, 2001 Take a look at your stage curtains. Is it time for a change? Curtains Curtains tattered and torn? Consider replacement. StageLight can help. Hardware The Southwest’s leading supplier of theatrical lighting and supplies Curtain Types Which Curtain goes where? Terminology Grand Border or Grand Teaser First we need to make sure that we are using the same terms for the drapes. For proscenium theatres, the principle curtain is the Grand Drape or the Front Curtain. Typically the Grand Drape is in two pieces and either travels or parts to each side of the stage or it flies out. Generally just in front of the Grand Drape is the Grand Border or Grand Teaser. The purpose of the Grand Border is to mask the track and hardware of the Grand Drape. It is typically a single, long drape and not very tall. Behind the Grand Drape are the Legs and Borders for the rest of the stage. The legs are typically hung in pairs and are usually about as tall as the Grand Drape (or taller) but are only 6-18' wide. Their purpose is to mask the audience from viewing the backstage areas during a performance. The Borders are similar to the Grand Border in size and their most common use is to mask the lighting instruments from the view of the audience. In many theatres you will find a border directly in front of a set of legs. Another drape that is common to the theatre is the Blackout Curtain or sometimes called the MidStage Traveller. Basically these drapes are in two parts and generally draw to either side of the stage. In size they are similar to the Grand Drape but their function is quite different. The Blackout Curtain is used to StageLight, Inc. phone 713-942-0555 Grand Drape divide the stage and to mask the upstage area from the audiences view. Often this is needed for scenery changes or simply to make for a smaller, more intimate stage for small concerts. The Cyclorama Curtain is located at the back of the stage just downstage of the Cyclorama or back wall of the theatre. It is used to mask the back wall of the theatre or to mask the Cyclorama itself. The last two kinds of drapes found in the typical theatre are the Cyclorama (Cyc) and the Scrim. The Cyclorama is hung at the back of the theatre and is usually white, natural or blue. It is used as the flat surface on to which the cyclorama lights are focused to provide the rich lighting that gives all stages their sense of depth, presence and space. The Scrim is the see-through fabric which is also typically a single curtain hung flat like the cyc curtain. When lit from one side it appears opaque and when lit from behind it is transparent. Scrims are usually black, blue, or white. w w w . s t a g e l i g h t . c o m Measure How to Measure Your Curtains ...What’s Next To measure your drapes have a tape measure, a ladder, and You’ve now given us all of the information we need to quote someone to help you. your replacement drapes. Be sure to let us know if you want us to get back by fax or e-mail. If you have any questions Step 1: First measure the height of your drape from about measuring your drapes or you know that some of your the top of the drape to the floor. Enter the height on the form. drapes are too big or too small already, just give us a call. We’ll try to help you pick out what is most appropriate for Step 2: If your curtain is dead hung (does not move your theatre. and just hangs straight) place your tape measure on the floor near either end of the drape. Measure it’s width along the Fabric Choices floor until you get to the other end. DO NOT MANIPUMost stage curtains are made out of velour. LATE THE DRAPE, just let it hang freely. Enter the width Velours are available in 16 ounce, 21 ounce and on the form 25 ounce fabric. (One square yard of 21 ounce velour weighs 21 ounces.) The heavier the velour, If your curtain draws, walks or is pulled across the stage, you the richer and better looking your drape is. must fully extend the drape to its widest position. Again it is StageLight does not recommend that 16 ounce important to not stretch the drape. Just allow it to hang freely. velour be used in your theatre. We think it is too Place your tape measure on the floor next to either end of the flimsy to warrant use in a theatre. Most drapes drape and measure its width. Enter this width on the form. should be 21 ounce velour. Try to use the 25 ounce velour for your Grand Drape and Grand Step 4: Finally we must count the number of fabric Teaser which are visually your most important curtains. Regardless of what fabric weight you widths used. Drapes are constructed from 54" bolts of fabric choose, a variety of colors are available for you to sewn edge to edge. It takes several 54" widths to construct a choose from. If you know you want a color other single drape. While standing at the back of the drape, start than black, please let us know on the form. counting the number of panels used in your drape. Often, Colored velours are slightly more expensive than you will find a partial panel at one end or the other of your black velours, but all colored velours are the same drape. When you run into this, just round any odd width to price. the nearest panel. Enter the number of panels on the form. Budget Considerations Step 5: Select the fabric of your choice and note it on the form. Also choose whether you want black curtains or a standard color. (A swatch card will be provided if you are ordering.) FAX the completed form back to our office. You’re almost finished... StageLight, Inc. phone 713-942-0555 If your budget is tight or you know that some of your drapes are in high traffic areas, you may want to consider another fabric choice. There isn’t much point spending hard earned funds for an expensive drape if you know that you will likley have to replace it in 2-3 years anyway. An alternative fabric to consider in this case is heavy weight commando cloth. Commando cloth can be sewn flat or with fullness like velour drapes. w w w . s t a g e l i g h t . c o m