Whether you’re trying to hide offstage elements or frame an epic moment in the spotlight, theatre drapes can help you execute breathtaking visuals. There are a variety of curtains used in stage productions and presentations, so understanding your options can help you make the right selection for your venue.
Learn how you can use the following types of drapery to enhance performance, acoustic and safety elements for every production.
The Role of Drapes in Stage and Theatre Design
You can use curtains to shape a moment, thus influencing how your audience experiences a play, concert, presentation or performance. Opening drapes for a dramatic moment is an effective way to make a major reveal or highlight a specific turn of events. You can also use more subtle applications to direct attention away from areas of the stage that must be hidden.
You can use theatre drapes to:
- Conceal backstage areas
- Absorb sound and reduce echo
- Create scene transitions
- Set scenes with backdrops
- Define wing space for performers
- Create visual depth for dramatic effects
Types of Stage and Theatre Drapes
Main Curtains and Grand Drapes
Also known as the front-of-the-house curtain, these drapes separate the performance area from the audience’s view. They can open and close horizontally and vertically during the beginning and ending of a performance and during intermissions. Main curtains are often made of velour or velvet and are thick enough to conceal light and sound before a performance starts.
Legs and Border Curtains
These types of masking curtains are located in the stage wings to hide things like machinery, hardware, rigging and people who aren’t onstage. Legs are layers of long panels that allow you to create a sense of depth and variation between the front and back of the stage. They’re also used for creating entry and exit points for performers. Borders shape the height of your stage and allow you to cover elevated elements like lights, scenery and audio equipment.
Cyclorama
This seamless vertical backdrop is used for projections to create the illusion of extended space. They’re often curved to produce the effect of an open sky or landscape. You can project lights or images to create stunning visuals that immerse the performers and audience in a production. Cycloramas are also effective for making a small theatre appear larger.
Scrims
These translucent drapes are loosely woven to provide varying levels of transparency depending on the lighting. When lit from the front, a scrim appears solid, but when lit from behind, it becomes transparent. Lighting a scrim from both sides creates a dreamy effect with partial visibility. This type of drapery is often used for reveals, flashback sequences, layering and image projection.
Backdrops
You can use backdrops as scenery. They’re available in seamed and seamless panels to display printed or plain fabric that can be changed during a performance. Backdrops are typically temporary installations and can be moved vertically or horizontally. They’re also effective as canvases for lighting techniques to display time of day, weather or mood.
Travelers
Traveler curtains are drawn together horizontally into the middle of a stage. You can install travelers at the front or middle of a performance space to control sightlines, reshape the performance area or showcase decorative elements. You can use two-way travelers that open and close from both sides or one-way alternatives draw from one side of the stage to the other.
Valances and Teasers
These short curtains are usually hung in front of or behind the grand drapes. When placed in the front, valances and teasers create the proscenium line that frames the performance area. When hung further back between legs and travelers, these theatre drapes conceal structural elements, battens and rigging.
Theatre Drapes and Curtains from Tiffin Scenic Studios
Whether you need a few pieces to enhance your production space or a complete set of theatre drapes, Tiffin Scenic Studios has the products you need. Our stage and theatre drapes include prosceniums, borders, legs, cycloramas and more. Contact us to learn more about our services and products.