One of the most asked questions when a customer calls me is “How do you hang the backdrops?” It’s a simple question. And like most simple questions, there isn’t always a simple answer. But in this case, it is rather simple 90% of the time. However, there are a few different ways to hang our backdrops. It’s the other 10% that can be complicated.
Across the top of all of our backdrops, there are tie lines for hanging. The easiest way to hang a backdrop is to simply tie the backdrop on to one of the stage battens. The center of each backdrop is marked near the tie lines on the back. My suggestion is to start from the center of the stage and work your way out. That way, if there is any extra backdrop leftover (ie if the backdrop is wider than the stage), you can fold the ends behind and tie it off in the back keeping the backdrop centered on stage.
About 80% of our backdrops have the tie lines looped through grommets. So, you can also hook these backdrops onto hardware through the grommets. Not too many people do this, but it is an option. The other 20% have cloth ties that are sewn into the top of the backdrop. These backdrops do not have grommets. Again, every backdrop has ties, but not every backdrop has the grommets.
About 33% of our backdrops have a sleeve across the top as well. It is located below the ties (see photo below). So, you can slide a pipe through the sleeve without having to tie the backdrop. Usually, this method is used with pipe and drape systems. The pipe and drape systems are typically used at trade shows or ballroom events and not with traditional theater stage rigging.
Another aspect of hanging a backdrop occurs before you even rent a backdrop. You really should know what size backdrop would be effective on your stage. You do not want to get one that is too small or too big, obviously. But sometimes, you are not going to get the perfect size. Sometimes when a backdrop is just a little too big, you can fold the extra backdrop under the scene letting it rest on the stage. For instance, if you have a 15 foot tall stage but really want the 18 foot tall backdrop, you have to look at the picture to see if you can “fold out” the bottom part of the backdrop without losing the effectiveness of the scene. If the backdrop is simply a blue sky with clouds, folding out any portion of the backdrop is easy, and you will not “lose” any of the scene. But if you have a city street scene, you might be folding out half of a doorway or half of a window, and that will not look clean. You can theoretically fold out the top of the backdrop using heavy clamps. You would tie the backdrop as usual, but instead of folding the backdrop under, you would “lift” the backdrop up and clamp it to the batten. This is more time consuming, but it has been done. However, if you do this, it is very important to protect the backdrop from the clamps since the clamps can leave creases in the backdrop.
There are some instances where the stage is bigger than the backdrop and where the battens are dead hung meaning they don’t move. When this happens you will have to look into adding rope extensions so that the backdrop will hang lower. So, the size of your stage is part of how you are going to hang a backdrop.
The last part of hanging a backdrop is weighting it down so that the wrinkles are lessened and so that it does not sway in the wind. Across the bottom of the backdrops is a pipe pocket. Some of the pipe pockets already have a light chain sewn into the bottom. But most have the empty pocket. You can slide in pvc pipe, wood, metal rods, or a chain into the pocket. If you have to fold out any part of the backdrop, you’ll have to deal with the weight in the pocket. You do not HAVE to use a weight in the pocket. But if you do not have to fold out any part of the backdrop, I highly recommend using one to help with the wrinkles and stability.
New York University appeared in 4 of the 5 lists. Located in New York City, NYU is a private research university. Founded in 1831 by Albert Gallatin as an institution to “admit based upon merit rather than birthright or social class”, NYU’s historical campus is in Greenwich Village. Tisch School of the Arts was founded on August 17, 1965. Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the arts, and filmmakers; the school merges the technical training of a professional school with the academic resources of a major research university to immerse students in their intended artistic disciplines. The school is divided into three Institutes: Performing Arts, Emerging Media, and Film & Television.
Yale University landed on 3 of the 5 lists. Located in New Haven CT, Yale is a private Ivy League research university founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School. It is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine Colonial Colleges chartered before the American Revolution. The Yale School of Art was founded in 1869 as the first professional fine arts school in the United States, it grants Masters of Fine Arts degrees to students completing a two-year course in graphic design, painting/printmaking, photography, or sculpture. The Yale School of Music, founded in 1894, offers three graduate degrees: Master of Music (MM), Master of Musical Arts (MMA), and Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), as well as a joint Bachelor of Arts—Master of Music program in conjunction with Yale College, a Certificate in Performance, and an Artist Diploma.
Northwestern University also hit 3 of the 5 lists. Located in Evanston IL just outside of Chicago, Northwestern was founded in 1851 by nine men whose goal was to establish a university that would serve the former Northwest Territory. The Northwestern School of Communication was founded in 1891. The school offers 6 major degrees, 2 dual degree programs, 5 minor degrees, and 16 module certifications for undergraduates, as well as 10 masters programs, 4 masters/doctorate programs, and 5 doctorate programs for graduates. It consists of five departments: the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Department of Communication Studies, Department of Performance Studies, Department of Radio/Television/Film, and Department of Theatre. Per the Northwestern website, “Whether your focus is acting, directing, playwriting, production or design, you’ll have ample opportunity to practice your craft. As many as forty productions are staged each year in the multi-stage Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, with an equal number of student productions across campus.”
Juilliard School appeared on 3 of the 5 lists as well landing at # 1 on two of those lists. Also located in New York City, Juilliard is a private performing arts conservatory. The school trains students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading performing arts schools, with some of the most prestigious arts programs. The Institute of Musical Art, Juilliard’s predecessor institution, was founded in 1905 on the premise that the United States did not have a premier music school and too many students were going to Europe to study music. The dance division was founded in 1951, and the drama division was founded in 1968.
USC and UCLA each made it on 2 of the 5 lists. The University of Southern California is a private research university in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in California. USC began its music program in 1884 and founded its drama department in 1945. The USC School of Dramatic Arts blends artistic training in a conservatory environment with the full academic experience found only within a major research university. The University of California Los Angeles is a public research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA traces its early origins back to 1882 as the southern branch of the California State Normal School (now San Jose State University). It became the Southern Branch of the University of California in 1919, making it the second-oldest (after UC Berkeley) of the 10-campus University of California system. The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT) began at UCLA as the Theater Arts Department in 1947. Its creation was groundbreaking in that it was the first time a leading university had combined all three (theater, film and television) of these aspects into a single administration.
Heathen!: A musical with book by Robert Helpmann and Eaton Magoon Jr and music and lyrics by Eaton Magoon Jr. The beliefs and needs of two eras in Hawaii — 1819 and 1972 — are compared, with strong similarities emerging. It ran for 6 Previews and 1 Performance on May 21, 1972 at the Billy Rose Theatre.
Cleavage: A musical with book, music, and lyrics by Buddy Sheffield. It centers around a variety of couples of different ages pursuing love. It ran for 6 Previews and 1 Performance at the Playhouse Theatre. It had a successful run in New Orleans, and the day after the lone Broadway performance, it received favorable reviews from the New York Times.
Ring Around the Bathtub: A play written by Jane Trahey about an Irish American family’s struggles during the Depression era in Chicago. It ran for 3 Previews and 1 Performance on April 29, 1972 at the Martin Beck Theatre. The original cast included Elizabeth Ashley and Carole Kane.
Rainbow Jones: A musical with book, music, and lyrics by Jill Williams about a lonely young woman creates an imaginary world of animal friends while waiting for the right human male to appear. It also ran for 3 Previews and 1 Performance on February 13, 1974 at the Music Box Theatre.
There are a number of shows that played to 7 Previews and 1 Performance. One of those being I Won’t Dance which was performed at the Helen Hayes Theatre on May 10, 1981. This is a play written by Oliver Hailey about a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair who celebrates the recent mysterious murder of his brother and sister-in-law in a diabolic manner. I point out this play because this is one of three plays written by Oliver Hailey that were cancelled on opening night.
At an early April news conference, the 
The economic impact promises not only to cause hardship for the people within the theater industry but all will have a ripple effect to other areas. Those employed in the industry may have trouble paying rent, keeping up with bills, or providing for their family. These ripples of economic pain could go on and on. 
110 in the Shade is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt. Tony Award nominations went to Schmidt and Jones as Best Composer and Lyricist. It also had nominations for best actress, actor and director. An original cast recording was released by RCA Victor.
Wish You Were Here is a musical with a book by Arthur Kober and Joshua Logan and music and lyrics by Harold Rome. The musical was adapted from Kober’s 1937 play, Having Wonderful Time and revolves around a summer camp for adults. For many years, this 1952 musical was best-known as the “swimming pool musical” because the production featured an actual swimming pool on stage. The characters could take dip when they weren’t singing the wonderful Rome score. The story centers around the guests looking for fun in the sun at Camp Karefree in the Catskills as they enjoy a respite from the everyday life. The show opened at the Imperial Theater and ran for 598 performances and was a lighthearted escape into the world of summer vacations.
Carousel is a musical by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics) that was adapted from Ferenc Molnár’s 1909 play Liliom, transplanting the Budapest setting of Molnár’s play to a New England fishing village. The show includes the hit musical numbers “If I Loved You”, “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over”, and “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Carousel was innovative for its time, being one of the first musicals to contain a tragic plot with themes of suicide and domestic violence.
This is a musical readers may not be familiar with. Greenwillow is a musical based on a novel by B.J. Chute with a book by Lesser Samuels and Frank Loesser and music and lyrics by Loesser. The musical is set in the magical town of Greenwillow. In Greenwillow, the eldest in each generation of Briggs men must obey the “call to wander” while the women they leave behind care for the home and rear their children in the hope that someday their husbands will return. Gideon Briggs loves his girlfriend, Dorrie, and would like nothing better than to settle down with her, but he spends his days trying to fight his need to travel, instead focusing his energies on his girlfriend. He finds in the town’s newest inhabitant, the Reverend Birdsong, an ally who will try to help him make his dream come true. Greenwillow didn’t last for very long (97 performances at the Alvin Theater), but one song did enjoy popularity: “Summertime Love,” a tribute to the excitement and passion of a summer romance.
You read that right. Summer: The Donna Summer Musical is a musical with book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, and Des McAnuff and music and lyrics Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Paul Jabara, and others, based on the life of Donna Summer. The musical made its premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse from November 7, 2017 through December 24, 2017 and opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to previews on March 28, 2018 before opening on April 23, 2018.