2008 - Communication Across the Curriculum (CAC)

E n g l i s h
of set changes in order to avoid the movement of flies during the
performance. Small theatres like the Nathaniel Center in Kingwood
contain twenty-nine flies. Large theatres like The Hobby Center in
downtown Houston contain as many as seventy- five flies.
As interesting as the mechanics of the fly system are, the variety
of items that can be hung from each pipe is almost limitless. The
most common items used are backdrops. A backdrop is a single
piece of canvas wider than the stage, standing in excess of twentytwo
feet. It is tied to the pipe with thin pieces of rope spaced a
foot apart. Backdrops are hand-painted to resemble any place
you can imagine – from the New York City skyline to an Arabian
marketplace. Some backdrops are painted with abstract designs
that can be used to help create magical illusions like Cinderella’s
incredible transformation before the ball. In some cases, backdrops
are custom-made by the production crew out of wood and metal. In
the show, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (H2$),
a backdrop was made to resemble a downtown office building,
complete with built-in lighting.
Other types of flies with specific purposes include legs and
teasers. These flies are used to hide the backstage wings and steel
pipes above the stage. Most theatres are equipped with black velvet
legs and teasers; however, some productions require specifically
made pieces that serve to enhance the scenery on stage. In H2$,
legs and teasers were made of wood and metal to match the office
building that, when combined with the backdrop, gave a greater
illusion of depth to the stage.
Flies are also used to raise and lower people on specially built
apparatuses, such as the window washing unit in H2$, or the flying
scenes in Peter Pan. In these cases, great care is exercised to
keep the actors safe during each performance. If the production
company is manned by volunteer crew members, a professional
stage hand would be hired for these types of maneuvers.
Other items that may be found in a theatre’s fly system include
a screen for video, electrical (or lighting) components, or a cyc
(short for cyclorama, a white backdrop the lighting designers use
to change the mood of a scene depending on color choices). Not
every theatre contains a fly system. But when there is one, it gives
the director the ability to put together an elaborate, high quality
production for the pleasure of the audience.
Next time you attend a theatrical performance and applaud the
actors’ final bows and watch the blue velvet main drape close,
remember there was another world high overhead that worked
together with the actors for your entertainment.
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