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As the Lead Carpenter for the production of Neverland produced by Illinois Theatre, I played a large role in the shop as a carpenter and backstage during the load-in, rehearsal, and run process. During the build process I worked closely with the shop staff to specifically fabricate the five trees in this design. This show featured 6 axis of automation including a lineset, four deck tracks, and a flying performer. As the lead carpenter during the run, I would work with our automation operator to complete automation checks for every axis before rehearsals and shows, and with our fly rail operator to complete lineset checks.
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The classroom set piece of driven by two dogs on two parallel deck tracks. This piece consisted of three large rolling units that connected behind the wood columns using coffin locks and clamps. These units also had removable dogs allowing for the units to be taken off the track and moved around the stage.
Our load-in process began with laying out stock deck track and platforms to build up the deck. The majority of the stage consisted of stock platforms and automation tracks while custom platforms were fabricated for the apron. Because the floor is uneven, we use lasers, leveling sticks, and crown boxes to create a level deck for the automated wagons.
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This photo features the school room in three separated pieces. This scene was the final scene of the play, allowing us to reconnect all of the pieces after the show and track the unit upstage of the CYC where it normally lived.
This rear image of the stage left trees showcase the construction and design of the units. Plywood ribs were cut on the CNC, wrapped in chicken wire, and weaved with glue and muslin to create a hard bark for the paints team. The base of the stage right tree was carved from laminated pink foam and non of the trees had any additional support overhead.