Behind the Curtain: The Evolution of Theater Construction and Rigging
Behind the Curtain: The Evolution of Theater Construction and Rigging
Behind the Curtain: The Evolution of Theatre Construction and Rigging
By Rylee Vogel, edits and additions by Peter Svitavsky
Theatre has long been celebrated for its spectacle. Its grandeur and magnitude have captivated audiences for centuries. Whether comedy or tragedy, play or musical, the performing arts are a critical part of our world and often mirrors its circumstances. But to fully appreciate and understand the production, one must look behind the curtain and examine the technical structures that make it possible.
Understanding the evolution of theatre construction, especially the innovations in rigging and technological systems, reveals a rich history of triumph, tragedy, technological advancement, and a continuous pursuit of safety and excellence.
History of Theatre Construction
Theatre is not a new artform. Dramatic performance has existed for millennia across civilizations. However, American theatre, as we know it today, began in the colonial era. The first playhouse in the United States was built in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1716. However, early American theatre struggled under the weight of societal skepticism and had a stigma of immorality and vanity.
It wasn’t until the 1800s that theatre gained popularity across the nation, though it still faced lingering stigma. By the mid-19th century, societal views started to shift, ushering in a new era of rapid theatre construction. Opera houses and performance venues appeared in growing numbers.
American musical theatre was born in the 1920s. Not coincidentally, many of today’s standing Broadway theatres were constructed during this era. The oldest continually operating Broadway house, the Lyceum Theater, was built in 1903 by David Frohman and still hosts performances to this day. The early 20th century also saw a rise in Off-Broadway houses and were home to vaudeville acts and variety shows. As the artform evolved, so did the scale and complexity of spaces.
Safety Innovations in Theatre
With the rapid growth of theatre productions, tragedy often struck the stage in the horrific form of theatre fires in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Venues lacked fire exits, used open flames for lighting, and featured highly flammable décor. Some of the most deadly and devastating fires in all US history occurred during this time period. Fires like those at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago and the Brooklyn Theater in New York became grim turning points.
In response, the industry embraced major safety reforms. Fire safety curtains, emergency exits, sprinkler systems, and safer lighting systems were introduced. These innovations reduced the frequency and severity of theatre-related tragedies. Many of the houses constructed during the late 19th and 20th centuries still operate today, upgraded with modern technology and safety features.
Technological Changes to the Stage
Beyond safety, technological advancements and architectural strides have completely revolutionized the stage. Innovations in sound systems, lighting design, and rigging mechanics have dramatically increased production value and overall spectacle. Peter Svitavsky, P.E., Senior Design Engineer with Wenger | J.R. Clancy, describes this evolution:
“Fifty years ago, if you went to a big rock show there might be somebody on a sound mixing console and somebody on a modest lighting board. A few decades later, there is a sound board, a board for the moving lights, and often an automation console to move the scenery and mechanical effects… It’s been an evolution, and things are becoming more complex, programmable, and more fun! We can do wild things now that we could never do before.” This evolution in engineering, automation, and imagination has reshaped the industry.
Understanding Theatre Rigging
Rigging is one of the fundamental components of a modern theatre. It allows set pieces to move, lights to be positioned, and scenery to be safely flown in and out. Traditional rigging relied on ropes, pulleys, and sandbags and all of it was manually operated. It wasn’t until the 20th century that there was a rise in automated rigging systems using electric motors to handle the heavy lifting.
The individual choice of rigging system depends on venue size, budget, and personnel. According to Svitavsky, one of the most important things to consider when deciding on a rigging system is the people who will be operating the equipment. In secondary schools, where educators and students operate the equipment, intuitive systems with automated features are ideal. In contrast, professional theaters and large venues often install complex systems that support hundreds of motorized axes, moving lights and curtains, complex sequencing, and large automation councils for programming because the staff operating the systems are often highly trained professionals in the respective field.
Theatre rigging systems generally fall into four categories, and each is a viable option depending on the space.
- Dead-Hung Rigging – The most affordable and simple form of rigging. It is ideal for small spaces with little height. This type of rigging is not movable and lacks flexibility- changes are done from ladders at the batten level.
- Manual Counterweight Rigging – has the lowest cost for movable rigging. It is very versatile for any medium to large space. However, this type of rigging requires climbing to catwalks, handling counterweight, and exposure to the risks associated with those tasks. Training and supervision are very, very important.
- Counterweight-Assisted Rigging – can be a cost-effective option for adding motors to a counterweight system. It is ideal for fixed speed applications and “dedicated loads” such as orchestra shell ceilings. Often it can be configured so that counterweight does not need to be added or removed when the load on the batten is changed, and this reduces exposure to risk. Controllers can be as simple as push buttons, or they may be integrated into larger digital systems.
- Programmable “Dead-Haul” Motorized Rigging – though the most expensive, is ideal for venues that need to save on space, avoid handling counterweight, and want the benefits of a digital control system. Normal operations can be controlled from the console on the floor. Shows can be programmed, copied, and stored.
Inspection and maintenance are also important considerations when selecting equipment. All rigging systems should be inspected annually, and the more complex the technology, the more maintenance required. Rigging equipment is often high in the air, so making a good plan before the machines are installed to ensure that the machines are accessible for service can save a great deal of annual costs for the owner over the life of the equipment.
Standardization and Innovation in Rigging
Until relatively recently there had been little standardization of stage automation equipment in the United States. The first version of the ANSI motorized rigging standard was drafted by the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) and approved by public consensus in 2012. Prior to this, design requirements were typically dictated by the architect’s specifications alone and often varied widely between venues.
Svitavsky notes: “Industry leaders recognized the increasing complexity and scale of automation projects and saw the need to establish basic safety requirements common to all system. Riggers, engineers, and consultants from all over North America and beyond came together over several years to talk about best practices and write them out. It was a wonderful experience.”
Once the standards were drafted, they were released for review and comment by the public; each comment returned was considered carefully before revising the document and releasing it for another review. This cycle was repeated until the final public review generated no additional comments. The value of the ANSI standards is that they are the product of public consensus, i.e. not only the authors, but every stakeholder in the public has been asked to propose changes and, only after there are no further suggestions does the standard become accepted as documentation of best practices. The written standards do not necessarily dictate the form of products or limit the number of options available to users. Although some known hazards are prohibited, the standards typically dictate the functions, most of them having to do with safety, that must be included in every new design regardless of how they are implemented.
Standardization has not only improved safety but also fostered innovation. Svitavsky noted another critical shift in the industry has been from bespoke products to serial manufacturing. Pete Svitavsky comments: “When I started with J.R. Clancy, machinery for venues large and small would each be built to individual architect’s specification. This resulted in many different products created to do the same job, which is a relatively expensive way to design and manufacture. Since that time “packaged hoists” have come to the market, designed to fit a wide variety of typical applications. Clients may now choose many products from a catalog, and this has allowed manufacturers and customers alike to benefit from the economies of scale. Bespoke designs are still an important part of theatre automation, however the custom features and additional costs that come with them are now often reserved for professional venues and other more demanding applications”
Clients can now choose products from a list of standardized designs. The same machine will be built many times, and this drives more investment in optimization, testing, and documentation for those products. Bespoke designs, by contrast, tend to be more conservatively designed, are therefore often heavier, and the engineering required to build only a handful of units makes them more expensive. “You would think that serialization would stifle creativity, but this has not been the case. The need to implement competitive features in the standardized designs has required great creativity, and it has driven innovation” says Svitavsky.
Modernization of Historic Spaces
While incorporating modern rigging into new construction is relatively straightforward, retrofitting older theaters presents unique challenges. Our historic performance spaces are cherished landmarks in many communities.
Unfortunately, these spaces often lack the height, space, or infrastructure to support the great things that modern producers envision. New technology can supplement the beautiful finishes in these spaces, and nowhere is this more evident than in the field of acoustics.
Years ago, the science of acoustics was not well understood and perhaps a secondary concern to the architects who focused on function and aesthetics. The result was that some of the most beautiful theaters and concert halls had areas of seating where the sound quality was quite poor.
Modern acousticians have embraced automation to improve these spaces: machinery can be used to raise and lower curtains, reflectors, and other devices to help guide and shape the sounds produced from the stage.
Digital processor systems can sample the sound through microphones, manipulate it, and then broadcast the corrected sounds from speakers anywhere in the theater.
Programmable controllers can reconfigure these devices for each performance to optimize the space for the given types of sound such as orchestra, solo instrument, or spoken word.
The equipment for these spaces is often very customized in order to integrate advanced technology without compromising the existing architecture.
Conclusion
The evolution of the theatre spaces is the meeting of artistry, science, and innovation. From the early stage to the modern state-of-the-art performance spaces, every step has been made possible by the ingenuity of technicians, designers, consultants and engineers behind the scenes. Today’s productions and houses are more magnificent and safer than ever before, thanks to incredible advances in rigging, construction, and safety standards. As technology continues to progress and grow, so will the grandeur of the stage, keeping the theatre alive and well for generations to come.
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