I did find these two rough sketches which actually were more important as they detail the touring stage set-up and materials.
At the left is a breakdown of the TROTTER's touring stage, used for all the full stage productions. This was constructed of aluminium tubing joined together with couplings and allen wrenches. Each tube section was 6' long. The entire stage was 12' high and 30' wide with the proscenium opening for the Hand and Rod puppets being6' tall and 15' wide in the center. The entire framing was covered with black velvet attached quickly with velcro fastenings. The stage could be set up and ready to perform within 2 hours of unloading and could be struck and packed up in less than an hour. On tour this was crucial, as we often played only one evening and had to be in the next town by afternoon on the following day. If you have never done this sort of thing I can't begin to describe how it feels, except that you learn to covet two things: a decent place to eat, and even more importantly, a good place to wash your cloths!
Along with the main stage setup were several rolling stands ( a castored base with an aluminium pole attached). These supported both scenery and puppets as needed and could be interchanged.
In the second photo are sketches for the show opening banner. Two huge butterflies flit in Black-Light around the stage before opening this fluorescent banner proclaiming the name of the show. This led into the opening scene between the MAGICMAKER and the MAN IN THE MOON following the MAGICMAKER's expulsion from his castle in the clouds by the GIANT which starts the play. All this opening was in Black-Light prior to the first scene of the play. The Sets were two-sided flats on castored stands which floated in from the wings and formed the scene before the audience's eyes; first the house of JACK and his MOTHER between the trees of the forest, abd then in Act 2 they swiveled in place to form the castle of the GIANT among the clouds. Pretty nifty.
The most important effect was the Beanstalk which had to appear to "grow" in real time on stage. The second photo shows how this was accomplished. Like the MAGICMAKER puppet, the Beanstalk was constructed with a covering and leaves made of fluorescent materials. It was mounted on a frame which stood behind the Act 1 setting. A black velvet cloth 7.5' wide and 13' long was draped over this, with a batton affixed at it's back. First, a gloved hand depicting the sprouting stalk was shown writhing up from the proscenium, then the drape was slowly pulled back, and the jagged edge of the bottom reveiled the black-Lit stalk as it was drawn up and over. After this the stage lights were brought up and JACK was able to climb the stalk aided by his "Legs" which were sewn to his black sleeve. Clever, huh?
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