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A cube by any other name is a cube but this is a rehearsal cube.
They are used as stand-in props to help block out or act out a scene. There are endless combinations and with a little imagination, they go a long way. Stack up two cubes for a table. Use one as a chair. Put three of them together on the floor to make a bed. Turn one up so the open end is facing the audience to act as a TV set or cupboard. Use them as podiums or soapboxes to stand on. Stack three, two, then one to make a staircase or represent mountains. The possibilities are limitless.
Caitlin's gifted program at school has interaction with TADA! Youth Theater performing arts program which sends out a "consulting" team to help classes write, produce and perform their own original play or musical. TADA! does have a catchy theme song that grows on you, I must say. Her school is fortunate to be able to provide such enrichment to those fourth and fifth graders in their daily course of study.
I had volunteered to build six cubes to help with this year's production, a musical with "King Tut" as the theme. (No, Walking like an Egyptian is a pop culture thing). In researching what was needed I found that commercially built cubes or modular set pieces are quite expensive. Many other starving artists and production companies have always rigged a few up. There are these acting cubes but with my limited budget, frugalness and having volunteered to do this for the benefit of the kids, this is what I came up with.
I will add more pictures later if I can to show the cubes in use or abuse.
Disclaimer: Any references to brats, preteen monsters, or similar are meant in a loving way.
Really, these are the best bunch of kids in the world. They just need to be yelled at once in a while. That's entertainment.
They are used as stand-in props to help block out or act out a scene. There are endless combinations and with a little imagination, they go a long way. Stack up two cubes for a table. Use one as a chair. Put three of them together on the floor to make a bed. Turn one up so the open end is facing the audience to act as a TV set or cupboard. Use them as podiums or soapboxes to stand on. Stack three, two, then one to make a staircase or represent mountains. The possibilities are limitless.
Caitlin's gifted program at school has interaction with TADA! Youth Theater performing arts program which sends out a "consulting" team to help classes write, produce and perform their own original play or musical. TADA! does have a catchy theme song that grows on you, I must say. Her school is fortunate to be able to provide such enrichment to those fourth and fifth graders in their daily course of study.
I had volunteered to build six cubes to help with this year's production, a musical with "King Tut" as the theme. (No, Walking like an Egyptian is a pop culture thing). In researching what was needed I found that commercially built cubes or modular set pieces are quite expensive. Many other starving artists and production companies have always rigged a few up. There are these acting cubes but with my limited budget, frugalness and having volunteered to do this for the benefit of the kids, this is what I came up with.
I will add more pictures later if I can to show the cubes in use or abuse.
Disclaimer: Any references to brats, preteen monsters, or similar are meant in a loving way.
Really, these are the best bunch of kids in the world. They just need to be yelled at once in a while. That's entertainment.
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The requirement was to build six cubes each measuring 18" on the edge. Stacking 2 cubes gives about the right height for a table or counter. One cube is the right height for a chair or a few pushed together to make a bed.
I needed to design and build something that was strong enough to stand on and take the abuse of 8-10 year oldragamuffins aspiring actors. These cubes will be pushed, kicked and banged around on stage.
It was suggested to make the entire "apple crate" out of 3/4" thick plywood with additional 2x4 cleats to reinforce the structure. This would have been quite expensive in materials cost and the end product would have been quite heavy for kids to carry or move around. It would have to be made semi-indestructable but I knew I could do better. I had some scrap 1/2" plywood in the garage that I could use. I only needed to get some stick lumber to complete the project. I would use pocket-hole joinery to create some face frames to use in the sides of the cube and topped off with a sturdy plywood platform top face to stand or sit on. An additional cleat would reinforce the top from sagging.
For the supplies needed:
A whole bunch of various woodworking tools. The more power tools you have, the easier it will be to finish but you could still do things the old-fashioned way with just hand tools.
I needed to design and build something that was strong enough to stand on and take the abuse of 8-10 year old
It was suggested to make the entire "apple crate" out of 3/4" thick plywood with additional 2x4 cleats to reinforce the structure. This would have been quite expensive in materials cost and the end product would have been quite heavy for kids to carry or move around. It would have to be made semi-indestructable but I knew I could do better. I had some scrap 1/2" plywood in the garage that I could use. I only needed to get some stick lumber to complete the project. I would use pocket-hole joinery to create some face frames to use in the sides of the cube and topped off with a sturdy plywood platform top face to stand or sit on. An additional cleat would reinforce the top from sagging.
For the supplies needed:
A whole bunch of various woodworking tools. The more power tools you have, the easier it will be to finish but you could still do things the old-fashioned way with just hand tools.
- Jigsaw or circular saw
- Power miter saw (some call it a "chop" saw not to be confused with a cutoff saw or hack saw)
- Drill with various bits
- Drill Driver or Impact Driver (putting in all the screws by hand would be arduous)
- Various measuring tools (T-square, measuring tape, try-square, pencil/markers)
- Power sander of any type (can use sandpaper, rasp, wood file, edge rounding tool)
- Power air or electric brad nailer or hammer and brads
- Pocket-hole jig and pan-head pocket-hole screws
- Lotsa glue, wood glue and if you have it polyurethane glue
- Sheet plywood, mdf, paneling
- 1x3 lumber (I remember having about twenty 8-footers)
- 1x2 lumber for the platform reinforcement
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Good job done by you. Thanks
http://www.toa.edu/