stage STAGE (by David S. Lawyer, 1993-2003) The stage has a proscenium arch above the proscenium opening. The left and right wings are from the point of view of an actor facing the audience. The house curtain is also a draw type act curtain. Below the proscenium arch is the teaser curtain, while at the rear is the backdrop curtain. The footlight trough is considered obsolete as later models have floodlights of various colors. The large black spotlights (called Fresnels -- don't pronounce the first s) employ Fresnel lenses. The deeply grooved side should be outward. An old book "Stage Scenery and Lighting" at Caltech Library explains much of our stage setup. While Fresnels are just one type of studio lighting, a few may just call the Fresnels "studio lamps". The Fresnel light bulbs are 500w type BTL with a "prefocus" base. Cost about $25 @ for halogen bulbs (more efficient to use halogen). Nomenclature review: proscenium arch/opening, right wing is to W, footlight trough, backdrop curtain, wing curtains, act curtain (with draw ropes) or house curtain, teaser (= curtain just below proscenium arch). The Fresnels are mounted on a horizontal "light pipe" on a wood beam above Throop Hall. Some theaters number the pipes or call them the "first pipe", "second pipe", etc. Larger theaters may have more light pipes, including ones above the stage not present at Throop. The motion picture screen is a Scenic Roller type. Nameplate should be on top board. USC had a film library. Proscenium width (at floor level) 18' 9" Proscenium height 11' 1" The data on the curtains is for the old beige curtains which have since been replaced by black curtains. CURTAIN WIDTH PC's HEIGHT NOTES Proscenium 11' 6' Wing (6@) 3' 9" (93") 2 12' 2" to 12' 3" incl. 2" on floor Backdrop 19' 4" (232") 5 12' 2" incl. 1" on floor Yardage of wings & backdrop is 73 yds of 4' wide material (73 yds. includes 9" of material for sum of top and bottom hem). Backdrop & wing curtain slides (or carriers): Kirsch 9616 will work but they are inferior to the original ones. The three I bought at Phillips Draperies in 1996 are of low quality since the roller center holes are somewhat larger than the axle, resulting in wheel camber when load is applied. However their rolling resistance under load is seems only about 50% above normal. LIGHT SWITCHES (in SW corner) From right to left on top row, then from left to right on bottom row: 1. 4 lanterns,far 2. 4 lanterns, near 3. 2 center light bulbs, far 4. 3 center light bulbs, near 5. stage front row 6. stage middle row 7. stage rear row 8. half of footlights 9. half of footlights 10. Outlets near each end of frontal girder (feeds black studio lamp) 11. Outlet on center of frontal girder (feeds black studio lamp) 12. Center pair of floods on frontal girder or disco ball (which one it feeds controlled by a toggle switch in center of frontal girder. Must use a very tall ladder to reach toggle). 13. E & W end pair floods on frontal girder 14. E & W end pair spots on frontal girder 15. Nearby work light (lighted handle).