Crazy People Incorporated: the abuse survivor's musical

	Advanced Set Design This implementation of a CPI set is built on three levels and consists of a kitchen totally enclosed within the boundaries of a gantry. The set makes use of a hinged 'double-sided half-wall' technique to bridge the gap between the kitchen ceiling and the work tops and at the same time to change the scenery from one design to another. The gantry forms the uppermost of the three levels, while, for the purpose of cavern scenes, the kitchen base units and work tops become the intermediate level with removable sets of steps providing access from the stage to the work tops and from the work tops up to the gantry. Speedy set changes can be achieved with careful design, and the double sided half walls (or drop cloths) can conveniently be attached at gantry level and decorated with kitchen wallpaper on one side and cavern scenery on the other. The overall height of the complete set can be anything above 14 feet and some form of direct access to the gantry from off stage will need to be provided, preferably behind the right hand side door. First mark off the boundary of the kitchen (Figure 1) and construct a three sided gantry around the perimeter noting the position of the kitchen base units and the two doors. The door on the right leads into the wings while the door on the left (the external door of the house) leads onto stage front which can usefully be dressed to represent a street scene with maybe a bus shelter containing a seat from where Susan can perform her 'front of curtain' narrations during set changes. Figure 2 shows the design and position of the main cavern backdrop and canopy, both of which are suspended from the uppermost point of the tallest gantry supports. Since the small cave at gantry level on the extreme right of the backdrop is the theoretical entry and exit point for all cavern scenes it would be as well to try to mount the gantry steps immediately behind the backdrop in that area, arranging things so that Tapes can be seen emerging from the cave when the scene begins. For cavern scenes the kitchen cupboards double up as the intermediate level of the pathway down which Tapes descends and their construction should therefore be substantial enough to withstand a certain amount of activity on their work tops. A 'secret door', two base units wide, occupies a central position in the rear wall, and can best be accomplished by mounting four base units and their associated fixed half-wall section onto sturdy castors which allow them to be rolled left and right and yet locked securely into position when the secret door is in the closed position. Figure 4 describes an alternative method. The two-base-unit-wide gap in the left hand wall is Badbits' home, and can be hung with a simple drop cloth at the rear thus providing a useful extra mean of entry and exit for stage hands during set changes as well as allowing Badbits to go off stage during lengthy periods when she is not be visible to the audience. A sink (not shown) is mounted in the section of work top directly above Badbits' home, (remember that the work tops will all be walked upon during cavern scenes so you may prefer to simply paint the sink on and fit taps), and a window (also not shown) occupies the portion of wall directly behind the sink. Figure 4 shows an alternative arrangement for creating the 'secret door' in the rear wall. This design relies on simple drop cloths creating the appearance of wallpaper and cupboard fronts (in the areas marked by the yellow and green rectangles) and makes use of two permanently-attached hinged sections of work top with sturdy legs which are also hinged - when the sections of work top are raised by means of a ropes and pulleys from off stage, the drop cloths and legs will also be raised and will swing to the sides out of the way. Note that whatever method of construction is employed for the secret door a certain amount of activity is destined to take place on the work tops and that they should be constructed with this in mind; if hinged work tops are to be used then support them from underneath and make arrangements to temporarily fasten the two supporting legs together so that they can't slip - while if the 'rolling back wall' technique is used ensure that the relevant base units can all be locked securely into position so they cannot move when walked upon. One final point; 'washing up' is a useful diversion employed by several members of the cast, but if using a real sink is thought desirable I suggest you provide it with a strong cover so that when it is hidden beneath the drop cloths that convert the work tops into pathways for the dimly lit cavern scenes it does not become a liability when negotiated at speed. The lower half-walls which occupy the distance between the work tops and the gantry can be constructed either from rigid material or from cloths hung from the forward edge of the gantry. Note that the distance between the work top and the gantry floor (A-B) is relevant to the height of the finished kitchen ceiling (canopy) and that it must be equal to distance B-C if double-sided half-walls or drop cloths are used to dress the set. Heights of 3'0" for the work tops, 6'0" for the gantry floor/bottom of the wall units, and 9'0" for the ceiling, should work reasonably well. (Of course the relevant props could always be retrieved from one of the base units and the wall cupboards done away with completely should they prove tiresome.) Note that in Figure 5 the four base units which make up the secret door and the right hand side of the rear wall are still in the 'rolled-to-the-right' position (see Figure 2a) but cannot be seen clearly because of the view being obscured right by the right hand side lower half wall and base units (to which they must obviously not be permanently attached). In Figure 6 the secret door has now been closed, (rolled to the left) and two of the three double-sided half walls are also already in position - while the third, still showing cavern scenery on it's visible face, is in the process of joining them. Note also that stage-front set dressing has been added which allows the cast to exit stage right as usual (to the interior of the house), or stage left out onto the street and in front of the main curtain. Figure 6 also shows the opening direction of the two (ordinary) doors which will be hung with drop cloths during cavern scenes. Note also the arrival of the wall cupboards; these may simply be painted on the rear upper half-wall but since the script calls for props to be retrieved from a wall cupboard anyway it may be worth hinging at least one cupboard door onto the rear upper half-wall so that props can be left on the gantry floor as if they were in the cupboard. All that remains to be done to complete the kitchen in Figure 7 is to suspend the ceiling canopy from points C and ensure that stray light does not illuminate the cavern backdrop while kitchen scenes are taking place. Figure 8 shows the finished set in the process of being dressed for a cavern scene. The kitchen ceiling canopy has already been removed and the last of the three double-sided half-walls is just being lowered into place. Note the painted (or otherwise covered) gantry and cavern floors, and the drop cloths hanging over the doors. Note also the two sets of steps which provide access between the three levels and the fact that additional drop cloths will be needed to disguise the work tops and/or base units. The gantry supports have also been disguised in this illustration, the forward-most ones have been decorated to fit in with the cavern scenery while the rear-most ones can actually be behind the main backdrop rather than in front of it. You may also like to consider the addition of some sort of hand rail or banister around the gantry in the interests of safety. Figure 6 shows the cavern set complete. Babits' home, (and/or the gap below the rear hinged section of work top if one is used), can easily be converted into convincing cave entrances and used as prompting positions or to house the Feelings Monsters' bookcase or whatever other props might be deemed necessary. Additional items needed to decorate the set/s includes a kitchen table and 4 chairs plus an general kitchen equipment such as kettle/bread bin/cup rack/microwave/etc. A sofa is used in both sets and will therefore need a set of additional thow-over covers for one of the sets - I suggest the use of something resembling sheep skin rugs for cavern scenes since they are mentioned in the script anyway. The lower level of the cavern is described as being 'sparsely furnished but homely' - ie. lots of pictures and photographs hanging from the walls and lots of personal knick-knacks and mementos lying around etc. Site Map

Advanced Set Design

This implementation of a CPI set is built on three levels and consists of a kitchen totally enclosed within the boundaries of a gantry. The set makes use of a hinged 'double-sided half-wall' technique to bridge the gap between the kitchen ceiling and the work tops and at the same time to change the scenery from one design to another. The gantry forms the uppermost of the three levels, while, for the purpose of cavern scenes, the kitchen base units and work tops become the intermediate level with removable sets of steps providing access from the stage to the work tops and from the work tops up to the gantry.

Speedy set changes can be achieved with careful design, and the double sided half walls (or drop cloths) can conveniently be attached at gantry level and decorated with kitchen wallpaper on one side and cavern scenery on the other. The overall height of the complete set can be anything above 14 feet and some form of direct access to the gantry from off stage will need to be provided, preferably behind the right hand side door.

First mark off the boundary of the kitchen (Figure 1) and construct a three sided gantry around the perimeter noting the position of the kitchen base units and the two doors. The door on the right leads into the wings while the door on the left (the external door of the house) leads onto stage front which can usefully be dressed to represent a street scene with maybe a bus shelter containing a seat from where Susan can perform her 'front of curtain' narrations during set changes.

Figure 2 shows the design and position of the main cavern backdrop and canopy, both of which are suspended from the uppermost point of the tallest gantry supports. Since the small cave at gantry level on the extreme right of the backdrop is the theoretical entry and exit point for all cavern scenes it would be as well to try to mount the gantry steps immediately behind the backdrop in that area, arranging things so that Tapes can be seen emerging from the cave when the scene begins.

For cavern scenes the kitchen cupboards double up as the intermediate level of the pathway down which Tapes descends and their construction should therefore be substantial enough to withstand a certain amount of activity on their work tops. A 'secret door', two base units wide, occupies a central position in the rear wall, and can best be accomplished by mounting four base units and their associated fixed half-wall section onto sturdy castors which allow them to be rolled left and right and yet locked securely into position when the secret door is in the closed position. Figure 4 describes an alternative method.

The two-base-unit-wide gap in the left hand wall is Badbits' home, and can be hung with a simple drop cloth at the rear thus providing a useful extra mean of entry and exit for stage hands during set changes as well as allowing Badbits to go off stage during lengthy periods when she is not be visible to the audience. A sink (not shown) is mounted in the section of work top directly above Badbits' home, (remember that the work tops will all be walked upon during cavern scenes so you may prefer to simply paint the sink on and fit taps), and a window (also not shown) occupies the portion of wall directly behind the sink.

Figure 4 shows an alternative arrangement for creating the 'secret door' in the rear wall. This design relies on simple drop cloths creating the appearance of wallpaper and cupboard fronts (in the areas marked by the yellow and green rectangles) and makes use of two permanently-attached hinged sections of work top with sturdy legs which are also hinged - when the sections of work top are raised by means of a ropes and pulleys from off stage, the drop cloths and legs will also be raised and will swing to the sides out of the way.

Note that whatever method of construction is employed for the secret door a certain amount of activity is destined to take place on the work tops and that they should be constructed with this in mind; if hinged work tops are to be used then support them from underneath and make arrangements to temporarily fasten the two supporting legs together so that they can't slip - while if the 'rolling back wall' technique is used ensure that the relevant base units can all be locked securely into position so they cannot move when walked upon.

One final point; 'washing up' is a useful diversion employed by several members of the cast, but if using a real sink is thought desirable I suggest you provide it with a strong cover so that when it is hidden beneath the drop cloths that convert the work tops into pathways for the dimly lit cavern scenes it does not become a liability when negotiated at speed.

The lower half-walls which occupy the distance between the work tops and the gantry can be constructed either from rigid material or from cloths hung from the forward edge of the gantry. Note that the distance between the work top and the gantry floor (A-B) is relevant to the height of the finished kitchen ceiling (canopy) and that it must be equal to distance B-C if double-sided half-walls or drop cloths are used to dress the set. Heights of 3'0" for the work tops, 6'0" for the gantry floor/bottom of the wall units, and 9'0" for the ceiling, should work reasonably well. (Of course the relevant props could always be retrieved from one of the base units and the wall cupboards done away with completely should they prove tiresome.)

Note that in Figure 5 the four base units which make up the secret door and the right hand side of the rear wall are still in the 'rolled-to-the-right' position (see Figure 2a) but cannot be seen clearly because of the view being obscured right by the right hand side lower half wall and base units (to which they must obviously not be permanently attached).

In Figure 6 the secret door has now been closed, (rolled to the left) and two of the three double-sided half walls are also already in position - while the third, still showing cavern scenery on it's visible face, is in the process of joining them.

Note also that stage-front set dressing has been added which allows the cast to exit stage right as usual (to the interior of the house), or stage left out onto the street and in front of the main curtain. Figure 6 also shows the opening direction of the two (ordinary) doors which will be hung with drop cloths during cavern scenes.
Note also the arrival of the wall cupboards; these may simply be painted on the rear upper half-wall but since the script calls for props to be retrieved from a wall cupboard anyway it may be worth hinging at least one cupboard door onto the rear upper half-wall so that props can be left on the gantry floor as if they were in the cupboard.

All that remains to be done to complete the kitchen in Figure 7 is to suspend the ceiling canopy from points C and ensure that stray light does not illuminate the cavern backdrop while kitchen scenes are taking place.

Figure 8 shows the finished set in the process of being dressed for a cavern scene. The kitchen ceiling canopy has already been removed and the last of the three double-sided half-walls is just being lowered into place. Note the painted (or otherwise covered) gantry and cavern floors, and the drop cloths hanging over the doors. Note also the two sets of steps which provide access between the three levels and the fact that additional drop cloths will be needed to disguise the work tops and/or base units. The gantry supports have also been disguised in this illustration, the forward-most ones have been decorated to fit in with the cavern scenery while the rear-most ones can actually be behind the main backdrop rather than in front of it. You may also like to consider the addition of some sort of hand rail or banister around the gantry in the interests of safety.

Figure 6 shows the cavern set complete. Babits' home, (and/or the gap below the rear hinged section of work top if one is used), can easily be converted into convincing cave entrances and used as prompting positions or to house the Feelings Monsters' bookcase or whatever other props might be deemed necessary.

Additional items needed to decorate the set/s includes a kitchen table and 4 chairs plus an general kitchen equipment such as kettle/bread bin/cup rack/microwave/etc. A sofa is used in both sets and will therefore need a set of additional thow-over covers for one of the sets - I suggest the use of something resembling sheep skin rugs for cavern scenes since they are mentioned in the script anyway. The lower level of the cavern is described as being 'sparsely furnished but homely' - ie. lots of pictures and photographs hanging from the walls and lots of personal knick-knacks and mementos lying around etc.

Site Map