For my second project, I decided to build a projection screen. I am working on a play about body image, and wanted to have an actor speaking from behind the screen. My intention was that she would be lit from behind, creating a shadow that would make her at first appear giant, than, as she moved closer to the screen, would diminish until she appeared her real size.

When we write plays, we are not usually concerned with how the effects will be created. That work is usually left to the designers. I wanted to see if I could figure out a way to build something that would create the effect I had in mind and would also be light in weight and easily transportable.

I used pvc pipe to create a frame and a cheap, king size sheet for the screen. I measured the pipes to fit the sheet, and used pipe connectors to join the sections. The frame measures about eight and one-half feet square and has three foot legs, front and back, on either side. I used a dual-headed free-standing work light for the light source.

Due to the depth of the stage in the ActLab, I was not able to use the front legs for my presentation, but instead had two assistants hold either side for stability.

In building the frame, I encounter a major problem. While I could assemble the frame by myself by lying in on the floor, it was too wide and too tall for me to be able to stand it up by myself. By cutting the sides of the frame into two pieces, I could first assemble the frame at half-height, then add the additional height one side at a time. It is still much easier to put together with two people. During my presentation, I asked the class to help me get the desired shadow effect and learned that I will need a stronger single light source to get the type of image I want. The class also had some great ideas about other ways I might use the screen during the play, such as painting on it or writing on it.

It was fun for me to try to build something and I am looking forward to further incorporating it into my developing script.