Dear Constant Reader,
As I mentioned on Friday The Boston BeauTease are working on a show dominated by big props, most of which the performers are building themselves. I thought I’d take you on a little tour of some of the other large props we’ve used over their years and how we made them. Eventually perhaps I’ll talk about some of the new pieces being constructed for The Big Time. For now, you can get a peek here.
To start, I’d like to re-introduce you to one of my pieces: Super Screen. Click the link for the previous missives about its construction.
Having used Super Screen for a couple of years now, I’m mostly very happy with it.
Pros: There’s nothing to obscure my silhouette. It’s tall enough that my head doesn’t get cut off in shadow. It’s narrow enough that I can easily reach out. The shape of the wings gives me an opportunity to tease. It’s a graceful shape and clearly not a mass produced item. I love the color.
Cons: It’s a bitch to transport. It’s 6’x 3′ folded up. It barely fits in the car on a diagonal with the seats folded up. We’re trying to figure out some way to secure it to the roof rack so that it’s not damaged. There’s a non-zero chance that unless we’re really careful and clever the wind would pick up the front of it and snap my poor screen like a cracker. Dangerous as well as heart-breaking.
The other down side is that the Tyvek we got was not the super-sturdy unrippable sort. That stuff, like they use for wrapping houses, is boldly emblazoned with the brand name all over, which would not do for my purposes. I think the Tyvek we ended up with is from what they make those protective suits for painting and the like. It’s fairly sturdy and water resistant, but it does puncture and Super Screen has suffered a few tears. I will continue my quest for stronger material.
More big props to come!
