I have not produced this play, but if we built many set pieces that were supposed to be stone over the years, and often with a miniscule budget.
I would start with an old table bought at a thrift store or salvaged from some cast member's garage.
Buy some muslin, and staple it on fairly loosely, maybe even scrunching it up a bit if you want it to look rough in the final product. Wrap the legs, too.
Then paint your table with regular latex paint. I recommend that you put out a call for partial gallons of latex paint people have at home and are willing to donate, especially in gray, blue, tan--the colors of stone. You can also check the oops! paints at your local big box stores. Just make sure everything is latex. With several colors of paint, you can wet mix the colors as you paint, giving you a start on the variations that will make it look like stone.
After you get a good coat of paint on your muslin-covered table, get a couple of natural sponges and dab on colors to improve that variation of color.
If you want your table to crack, look for a table that pulls apart for the addition of leaves. Pull it apart at the center before you wrap the top parts in muslin. You can shove it together for the pre-crack part of the play, and cast members can pull it apart when it "cracks."
Students love doing this type of work. Just make sure they wear clothes that can go right into the garbage after your work day and that you cover your work space with a plastic drop cloth.
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CJ Breland
Retired Theatre Arts Educator
NC
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-18-2022 14:59
From: Anne Elisa Brown
Subject: Stone Table Set Piece for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
Hi Everyone,
I am looking for ideas for building a stone table set piece for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It doesn't necessarily have to crack. I direct in a very small school with limited resources and just don't know where to start. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Anne Elisa Brown
Madison High School
Madison, SD
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Anne Elisa Brown
Director of the MHS Drama Department
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