Technical Design Solutions for Theatre

Kraig Blythe

A Pneumatically Tripped Circular Curtain

For the most part, curtain rigs used in theatre are not technically difficult. But a curtain that needs to be paged around a circular track and then drop gracefully to the floor as if released by magic is an unusual challenge. Add to that challenge the absence of fly space and a limited budget, and the rig seems almost sure to be cut. Those were the challenges we faced in mounting our 1998 production of Cymbeline at the Yale School of Drama. Our solution worked extremely well, was almost noise free, and, since most of the parts were in stock, cost very little to accomplish.

THE BASIC RIG

Figure 1 shows a general view of the rig we built. The curtain was a panel of nylon netting held up ...