Trap Door Question

[actor]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:03pm

I have a few questions regarding trap doors in general-

What is the technical name for a trap door used on stage?
Where can you find information about them?
Where can you find information about installing them?
How does it work?
Does it use hydraulics?
What is located below the trap door?

Thank you.

[pants2]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:07pm

may i ask y u need to know all this??

1. no idea
2. google it
3. ummm y? and i would imagine it would be difficult because there has to be an area under them to go to
4. some do i'm sure
5. well in all the stage trapdoors i've been through there's either a ladder in a room with stairs that go to backstage, an elevator that u stand on, also with the stairs to backstage, or a pit of foam squares to land in, with a small tunell at the bottom to crawl through, to backstage

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:11pm

Wow pants. For some of the threads you've started and posted on, your post here is a bit rude.

Updated On: 10/14/06 at 10:11 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:14pm

Hey pants, the word is why, not y.

It's a message board, not AIM.

[actor]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:15pm

1. I need to know because my friend is interested in installing one for his school theatre in California.
2. When I "Google" it nothing comes up. And what do I "Google" exactly??
3. Self-explanatory. He's interested in installing one.
4. Just interested.
5. Just interested. Also, I'm looking to see if there is an option that does not include hydraulics. This would be less expensive.
6. I'm curious.

I'm surprised I have to be so defensive. What did I do wrong?

[Broadwayluva]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:18pm

you did nothing wrong . . . i personally don't know too much about trapdoors so I can't help you out, but good luck finding the info.!

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:19pm

You did nothing wrong. I was sticking up for you in my other post

Hope you can find the info though!

[actor]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:22pm

Thank you.

[Janos5303]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:26pm

When I did "The Foreigner" many years ago the trap door lowered via a mechanical winch- not very reliable, it actually malfunctioned on opening night and the audience could hear me trying to fix it during the intermission. Depending on how you are using a trap door it can be as simple as a hole in the floor with a hatch that either opens inward or outward. Again, depending on what you are trying to accomplish, you can use a simple ladder or even a mattress pad to break an actor's fall, or it can be shallow enough to step into and get out of sight. Several theatres I have worked in have a grid system in the stage floor and trap doors can be added by removing a panel of the floor and adding the hole.
Hope this helps.

[actor]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:32pm

Thanks - yes that helps. I am looking for information on an elevator type trap door, however. I should have been more specific in my original post. Sorry.

[actor]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 11:19pm

bump

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 11:22pm

I've used a mechanical trap door. It was a bitch to build and thankfully I only tested it, I didn't have to operate it.

It worked very much life fly railes - with a countewrweight system.

The drawback is getting it to move at a constant speed.

[Sally]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 12:38am

Here's a link to a stage craft forum. There isn't a lot of information there but try some of the links, especially "Google is your friend."

The advice one person gave is not encouraging:


"Don't build one.

Seriously - anything powerful enough to lift a person is powerful enough to kill them.
Controlling these is not as simple as it looks, and there are a LOT of safety measures to reduce the likelihood of a variety of accidents."

Blue room link

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 12:46am

yes, much like onstage flying, trap doors and the like should only be constructed and operated by a trained prefoessional.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 3:21am

The school's insurance carrier would go apes**t if they found out someone had cut a hole in the stage and installed a trap. These things aren't part of a gallows for nothing. If a kid jumped up and landed on it - and it sprang, he/she could fall through, hit their chin on the edge and break their neck. These are very dangerous devices that should be left to experts.

[Thespinoy]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 3:52pm

Elevator type traps in professional productions are always custom designed and custom made for the specific production with numerous safety elements built in to ensure the actor's safety. They are extremely dangerous and many accidents have occured even with the safety precautions in place.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 9:41pm

I was working at an opera once when, during an unexpected blackout during a load in, one of the crew members went off the end of the stage, into the orchestra pit. He landed on top of - and demolished - a harpsichord. The worst of his injuries were several deep cuts inflicted when some of the strings snapped and whipped around like wires on a weed-whacker. No trap door in this story, but falling bodies and a stage are a deadly combination. I can't urge you any more strongly not to try using trapdoors in anything less than a union crew setting (and we were all union boys).

[actor]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 9:59pm

Thespinoy - Usually accidents with onstage elevators happen when there is either a blackout or it is dark. Onstage elevators go very slowly and are safe for the most part. For example, Idina fell because she could not see that the trap door had already gone down partially. It was dark behind the curtain. If it had been light, she probably wouldn't have fallen. However, sometimes costume pieces can get stuck in the trap door, causing someone to fall.

I'm sure my friend will take any safety precautions neccesary to make sure the actors are safe (if he actually builds one). I'm surprised he's willing to invest in one. They're very expensive.

Does anyone know of the price range of an elevator trap door? I'm curious. I think he's considering using a lift table, but I'm not sure.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:08pm

From a previous inquiry, they can range from $5,500 to $9,000, professionally installed and safety inspected by the city. A safety permit for it has to be approved (for obvious reasons).

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:17pm

I've always wondered about this same question, so I've really enjoyed reading this thread. The Blue room link lead to a link of a flash animation explanation of the National Theater's drum revolve. FASCINATING. I had read a description of it in regards to His Dark Materials, but I never really understood how it worked. Actually, after watching the flash animation explanation of it, I'm only more curious as to the ins and outs of it.

[actor]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:19pm

How do you get to the flash animation explanation?

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:32pm

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=8052

Click where it says, "The complex workings of the drum are clearly explained in this flash animation of the drum revolve.
[Macromedia Flash Player is required to view this (96k) file.]"

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:34pm

(You might actually have to go to the section labelled "About the Drum Revolve" first.)

Flash is a fickle mistress.

[actor]

Posted: 10/18/06 at 6:54pm

bump