Balloon Props - Final

 Who lurks behind them beach ball balloons?
Being the thorough fellow that I am I needed to inflate all of the beach balls almost full of air in order to glue the suction cup assembly to the bottom of each as well as check each one for any leaks, etc.
Sure enough one of the green ones wasn't holding air! I used a plastic patch kit for little kid's swimming pools and it is just fine now. This vinyl cement has to cure for 24 hours to form a strong bond to the balls.

 The handles sorta look like fencing foiles, but are actually made of pine with a 1" thick dowel inside the PVC pipe grip. This allows the whole thing to be rotated on it's axis by nimbly turning the little wooden ball at the bottom. The central balloon dowel is attached in the center of the handle and the four other dowels of various heights will be glued in angled holes drilled in the larger of the two circles.

I screwed a 1/4" hex nut into the top of each dowel and cemented that in place before using epoxy resin to cement another nut on top of that one ( the epoxy really bonds the two metal nuts together ) and when dry I wrapped black electrical tape around both nuts.
Above you can see how my evil plan works. When fully inflated the "balloon" is simply screwed into the top nut securely and it stands quite firmly at attention on it's dowel "string".

TA-DA!
Both props are finished and ready to transport to Fort Worth. The "balloons" will be slightly different colors and arrangements on the two props. Once there, I will glue the four outer dowels firmly into the handle, inflate the beach balls fully and screw them in place. To hide the nut and bolt connection I will fasten some brightly colored wired ribbon to the base of each suction cup like little streamers.

If my inflation tests are any indication these should hold their air pretty much through the entire month long run of the show. If they do start to "wilt" the inflation nozzle is easily reachable on top of each ball.
 Much easier to deal with than having to mess with helium before every performance, and not likely to pop!

The brackets which will hold these on the set will be fairly simple 18" X 18" wooden constructions with an outer section just wide enough in diameter to firmly hold the handle in position without tilting.

Balloon props for "LILI"

 A part of my set design for  LILI includes two large bunches of helium balloons which are brought onstage by my Carnival Girls during their dance and then placed in brackets on either side of the Puppet Booth as it is being assembled.
It would be easy enough to use actual balloons...except that the Hip Pocket Theatre is an OUTDOOR venue and said balloons would be buffeted about by even the slightest breeze. Soooo I devised this engineered prop which will not only be more durable but in the end much easier to maintain.

And it involves NO helium at all!

 I found a company on line that sells all sizes and colors of Beach Balls ( here's a plug for https://www.beachballs.com in Seaford, Delaware. They are Great!) And they had 16" solid color inflatable balls which have a finished diameter of 11", the perfect size and  in just the right colors for this project.
 If you are curious or thinking of using this idea be forewarned that the 16" listing is for the ball Un-Inflated, measured as it lies flat after manufacture. Any reputable dealer will also list the inflated diameter as well.

The balls were just perfect.
 Now how to get them to stay on the end of the oak dowels I had chosen to stand in for "strings"? Some experimentation yielded a very practical solution. What you see spread out on my workbench at the top are black metal "lift legs". These are sold at most hardware stores and building suppliers ( I got mine at Lowes HI). These have a flat surface with a 1/4" threaded bolt and are used in the real world as replacement adjusting feet for things like washing machines and refrigerators.

Gluing these directly to the bottom of the beach balls didn't give them enough support, so I added 2 1/4" silicone suction cups (also from Lowes) by drilling a 1/4" hole through the middle and screwing the foot up from the inside until it sits firmly within the cup as shown above.

Now I inflate the beach balls, but only until they are lightly firm, not all the way, and using a flexible vinyl adhesive ( used for repairing things like swimming pools and, duh...beach balls!) I attach the cup and foot assembly to the bottom of the ball. This is the end opposite the inflation nozzle at the top.

Starting to make sense?
Looking like a balloon to you?
Great.        I will post the rest of the assembly tomorrow!.

LILI Groundplan

 Here is a purely esoteric post of the groundplan for the stage set for  LILI. In most theatrical enterprises the sets are built and painted by a crew under the direction of a Shop Carpenter and the Designer.

Since I function as my own carpenter and painter( and pretty much always have ) I know what I will have to do to make my set a reality in the actual space involved. Above is the groundplan for the full set in position for Scene 5 of the play. All of the scenic elements are carried onstage by the actors and set in place for the remainder of the show, with the exception of the "Magic Curtain" and "Magic Table", which are positioned when needed and then struck by the actors. Likewise, the tables and chairs are moved about and positioned as required by the action of the play.

The reality is pretty much just as I envisioned it last year when I built the set model seen above. The positions of the chairs and tables here were altered to make a better photograph of the overall setting. The Puppet Booth and Caravan Panels have been built and painted and are very close to the model in appearance and function. The Tables and chairs were constructed earlier this year and are already in Fort Worth awaiting the first rehearsal.

I am working on the Balloon Props and the Magic Curtain now and those should be ready within the week. Then the Set will be finished and stored for transport to the Hip Pocket Theatre in late July when we will start staging the show!

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Magic table 3 - final

 Here I am, looking a bit glum, while painting in the stars and circles in the design on the blank canvas of the Magic table covering. This is a bit tedious and if you work at it too long a certain amount of dementia sets in, so frequent breaks are recommended.

 After the shapes are dry, the black wash of the background is added. I have never worked with professional theatrical scene paint. Pretty much always way too expensive! Nowadays you can have any color under the sun mixed at your local Home Depot for about 1/4 the price.

 I budgeted this entire set to be painted with just one quart of each color in my design palette. I buy a quart, and then thin it down by about 1/3 which renders a very usable color with good saturation. The flat black wash was thinned down to less than 1/2 the original mix. This renders a very fluid but unsaturated wash which drys in subtle shades of black and grey. I like the texture of the black which I can then manipulate by over painting in certain areas once the first wash is dry.

 The entire covering is now completely dry and finished except for the upper 3/4" which will be stitched to the Table Top piece. While it is still unpleated, I stitch the gold fringe trim to the bottom by hand.
I wanted a wider fringe trim, but that was just too expensive per yard, Outrageous, actually! So after much deliberation, I settled for this smaller fringe. It serves the purpose and I can live with it visually ( and price wise!)
 A Designer's life is so full of these little compromises!!

 And, finally, here is The Magic Table completed. It measures 38" tall by 24" wide at the base, and 18" round at the top. The painted canvas is artificially pleated and stapled in place top and bottom. It will never lose it's shape come wind or high weather! The rubber castors just beneath the fringe trim will allow it to glide silently into place on command during each performance.

And here is a detail of the Table Top, where all the "magic' will occur. Can you see the trick? It is part mechanical and part painted optical illusion. If you can't see it...GOOD! That is the intention, because of course it is a Magic Table!

I can tell you that the props and implements required to make the 5 minute Magic Act happen during  LILI have cost more than the entire set and puppet budget for the show. But if the Magic Act doesn't work, the whole show falls apart. This was the challenge I faced in adapting the film to the stage.

I believe I have come up with a novel and workable way of doing it, which you will just have to come out to the Hip Pocket Theatre this summer to find out!

Magic Table 2

 Like the rest of my set for LILI, the Magic Table covering will be painted canvas.
Above is my layout for the positioning of the stars and circles which decorate the table covering. Yes, I used little cut-out pieces of paper and moved them around the layout until I was satisfied with the pattern.  I needed to keep in mind that the covering will be pleated when attached to the table, so I had to place the stars, for example so that they will  be visible on the outer curves

When I was satisfied with the layout I did this color plan to guide me in painting the stars and circles. The entire background of the covering will be painted black.
Again I'm making use of "negative space" in the design for all the elements of the setting for LILI. The Table itself will "float" against it's black curtain backdrop, just as the stars and circles 'float" against the black background of the table covering itself.

Coming up: Painting and sewing the covering.

The Magic Table!

 The Magic Table is now being constructed in my little workshop for transport to Fort Worth, Texas and the Hip Pocket Theatre this August for my production of  "LILI".

Above is my sketch work for the frame and covering of the Magic Table. This is the central prop in the Magicians' act which is the centerpiece scene of the first part of "LILI". All of the magic performed will be done by puppeteers in black against a black Magic Curtain ( more about that is coming up!)

This simple framework houses an ingenious little device ( which I will NOT show you as that would spoil the surprise!) allowing items to magically appear and disappear as the Magician gestures. It's pretty neat, actually.

The real work on this set piece is being done now: the Table Cloth...I will post my progress on that in the next few days....

"LILI" Title Banner

 Continuing forward with the painting of the drops and banners which will be used for the set of   LILI.

I am making use of "Negative Space" in the production of this show. certain segments will be performed by puppeteers in all black against a black background. These "Invisible" creatures will be able to manipulate anything with color and reflectivity within the negative space of the blackness and those items will appear to float, appear and disappear at will, like magic.
The opening moments of the show will feature this Title banner which will unfold magically before the audience's eyes.
Above is the computer generated Logo for LILI, with a graphic breakdown of it's measurements for a 3X5' banner.

Here are poster board cutout stencils of the letters full sized. these are traced onto the canvas in the proper positions ( marked carefully on the stencils) and then the Violet paint is applied, just slightly over the edge of the pencil line. When this is dry, I retrace the stencils over the violet paint and then carefully paint the black outline to meet that pencil outline. The rest of the black background is painted in to fill out the banner

 When all the paint is dry ( in this case both front and back of the canvas) I  hand stitched 1/2" diameter violet rhinestones to certain points on the letters. These will glisten magically in the stage lights as the banner is unrolled between the two black clad puppeteers

This whole effect will last only a few seconds onstage, but it sets the tone of the show with the promise of more magical moments to come ( and there are many!)

LILI Set Designs and Completed Units

 Continuing onward with set construction for my summer production of  "LILI" for the Hip Pocket Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas.
Above is my design for the Puppet Booth which is the central unit of the finished set, and where the puppets I posted earlier will make their appearances during the show.

The base unit measures 8' X 4', with the header as a separate piece above it for a total height is 10' from the stage floor. The actors playing PAUL and JACQUOT will actually bring in these units and "assemble" the booth in front of the audience, just as they would set up for the actual carnival puppet show. There is an existing central stage platform to which these pieces will be hung, so the actors will have little effort involved in doing this.

 Here is my plan for the structure of the Puppet Booth base unit. It is a simple lightweight box basically, just enough structure to attach painted canvas panels to. It will not need to support weight as the puppets will "float" in the blackness of the background directly above it. This will be built by the theatre staff before my arrival in July.

 And these are those canvas panels after being assembled and painted in my workshop here in New Mexico. The 4' X 8' central panel will be stapled to the base front with the two red and white striped side pieces attached on either side of the unit.
Standard wood molding, miter cut and painted blue will be tacked in place around the front panel to add some texture to the piece and hide those pesky staples!

This is the upper header unit of the Puppet Booth after painting was finished.
 To keep this unit light weight for the actors the lower scalloped piece and the pediment backing are actually painted canvas. Only the simple framed pieces are of wood. Since I will have to transport this unit to Texas this summer, the 8' 4" long center piece is hinged in back to fold down. The upper pediment which is 5' 6" X 22" is a separate piece which when secured to the unfolded center will make one solid unit.

Beside this you will see a string of colored lights. There is a grooved channel running the length of the center piece into which the wires for these lights will be hidden as they are stretched across the front of the unit. As the actors hang this in place on stage one of them will plug the lights into a concealed circuit so that the booth can be lit up on cue when needed.
 I won't be able to attach these lights until I assemble the unfolded unit in Texas this summer. Likewise the mirrored balls that top this unit and the other units of the set  will only be glued into place just before we open the show. They are pretty, but also very fragile.