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  • 1.  Moving rowboat onstage

    Posted 02-07-2018 12:56
    I'm looking for idea for creating a moving rowboat onstage for Peter Pan and Wendy.  I'm thinking a wheeled cart of some kind with a boat facade on the audience side, but I'm not sure how best to accomplish the movement across the stage.

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    Stephanie Vitulli
    Middle School Theater Director
    Highlands Ranch CO
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  • 2.  RE: Moving rowboat onstage

    Posted 02-07-2018 13:14
    Can you go Flintstones on it and cut out the bottom so actors in the boat can push it with their feet?

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    Ken Buswell
    Drama Teacher
    Peachtree City, GA
    http://mcintoshtheater.org/

    Theater kills ignorance
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Moving rowboat onstage

    Posted 02-07-2018 14:07
    I've used the Flintstones approach a couple f times, most recently for Spamalot, and it works fine.

    Sure it's going to take some rehearsal to get it smooth (just like the rest of the show), but it avoids all kinds of "technical solutions" that just create other problems.

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    George F. Ledo
    Set designer
    www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.com
    www.georgefledo.net
    http://astore.amazon.com/sdtbookstore-20
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Moving rowboat onstage

    Posted 02-07-2018 15:15
    We made a boat "flat" and attached it to a bench we mounted on casters. The actors moved it Flintstones style, in time with pantomimed rowing.

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    Josh Kauffman
    Teacher
    Winfield AL
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Moving rowboat onstage

    Posted 02-08-2018 06:54
    we have used a old boat in the past with rollers on the bottom then have pulled the boat across using a cable or rope then the actors could play and not worry about walking the boat

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    Jerry Onik
    V.P. Theatrical Supplies and Equipment
    Omaha NE
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Moving rowboat onstage

    Posted 02-09-2018 12:05
    We have a wheelbarrow that we made for last year. This year we are adding foam cutouts, one side a car, one side a boat. Both will be used in songs/dances so for the car, we have two kids pushing it to the beat of the music, stopping & doing part of the dance. The well is big enough so the girl is sitting in it, the boy is standing behind her singing, looks like he is is car too. The wheels are thin so giving us trouble so we are either adding wheels to front or considering getting a wagon that I think is in the attic of my old school, to apply the foam. For the boat, 2 kids are pulling it on a diagonal from Downstage right to center Stage Left, slow to the music why she waves goodbye. The pullers also stop and dance in the middle of the song.

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  • 7.  RE: Moving rowboat onstage

    Posted 02-08-2018 07:32
    Needed to move a lot of props on stage quickly for my show years ago.  You can use this same very simple method. 

    Wheels on the bottom of your boat and the boat sides covering the wheels.  A line tied to the front and back going off stage.  Stage hands control the motion of the boat from off stage.  If you wish you could have one off to the side too.

    Other option you can use the puppet method of actors dressed in all black, faces covered is up to you.  These actors are in charge of moving the boat and anything else.  They could also have water that they spray in there face once in a while.  They could be the ones controlling fish and anything else you would like in the water or air.  This is theater so we can get away with stuff like this and the people in black are just forces in the universe that control things.

    Have fun and let us know what you do.

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    [Stanley Allan] [Sherman] [Custom theater mask making, Commedia dell'Arte masks & workshops. NYC winter holiday workshops and summer workshops]
    [Mask Maker, Commedia dell'Arte expert, Teacher, Mime, Movement, Actor, Director, performer, producer of workshops and shows.]
    [Mask Arts Company www.maskart.com]
    [New York] [NY][stanley@maskarts.com[212-255-2882][il-dottore@commediau.com][New York][NY][Roving Classical Commedia University* (*totally unaccredited) ]
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Moving rowboat onstage

    Posted 02-08-2018 08:06
    I also opted for the "Flintstones" approach.  Works really well and reads great on stage.  Use one set of swivel casters and another set of "set" casters and one of the actors can control how the boat moves.  Happy to discuss construction if you'd like.  Here's a picture of mine:

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    Claire LaNicca
    Theatre Director
    Cincinnati OH
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Moving rowboat onstage

    Posted 02-08-2018 08:07
    I think the open idea on the bottom is best. it doesn't mean you can only go in a straight line and the hazard of a rope running across the stage isn't there. 

    If you can get Broadwayhd.com watch at least the first part of Wind in the Willows. They do it (on a large scale of course) but its a boat with an open bottom and he can scoot himself around enough to make it work. 

    its a great show so I recommend the whole thing, but the boat is only like a scene or so after the opening number.

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    Dan Mellitz
    Technical Director
    St Andrews School
    Barrington, RI
    Www.techiegreenroom.com
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    Original Message


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