Stonewalling

 At yesterday's student charrette (which went well!) we did a lot of talking and the question of how to make good stone or brick walls onstage came up.  

My usual technique is to hand carve the mortar joints from sheet foam, using a snap-blade knife extended out a bit too far (be careful!) so it has a bit of flexibility to it.  Then layers of paint.

Here's an example starting with white, pebbley-textured polystyrene:

Photos from Uptown Players' Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike

 Another show using polystyrene but the carpenter's favorite - beautiful - technique called for many very coarse layers of paint spatter, then exposure to heat so that the least painted parts of the foam - like the mortar joints - melted most.

Humble Boy at WaterTower Theater

Here's another example, using that pink sheet foam insulation you find at the big box builders' stores.  Same knife technique:

The Beauty Queen of Leenane at Kitchen Dog Theater

In the center photo you can see where I was not quite finished yet - there's still some pink showing, as well as some obvious screw heads!

For brick I use a similar technique of foam cutting.

In the Other Room: the Vibrator Play, also at Kitchen Dog Theater

More stone!  This time with stones cut out individually, then placed on the wall.  

Circle Theatre's Incorruptible

Stop!  Stop!  Mercy!