NOV
28

Creating Trees for the Stage

By Brian D. Taylor, Project Editor, Pioneer Drama Service 

Brian D. Taylor is the project editor for Pioneer Drama Service, a published playwright and a former drama teacher.  Working with K-12, college and community theatre groups, he has a wide theatrical background with experience in directing, acting and technical theatre. 

What’s tall and green and appears in all kinds of plays?  If you’ve ever built a set, you know the answer.  Trees.  Trees appear in practically any show with an exterior set.  Some sort of forest?  Trees.  A park?  Trees.  A yard or a street?  Yep, once again, we use trees to define our set as “outside.”

There are easy ways to fill your stage with trees, of course.  You can collect fake trees or purchase them from a craft or home décor store.  You can have the entire cast bring in their family Christmas trees.  Please don’t do this yourself, but I’ve known some designers who’ll even go out and chop down live trees for their stage.  But the reality is that most of you will have to build a tree — or several — at some point.

Build a tree?  Yep.  Just break down the process and it’s quite do-able.  Every tree onstage will need a base so that it can be self-standing.  Then you’ll have to decide if you’re going the cutout route or three-dimensional, which will also need a canopy.  Finally, every tree needs embellishments with paint and texture to add authenticity.

There are several methods that can be used and not all of them are included here.  This is not a step by step, but rather an overview of the various tricks and techniques that you can pick and choose from as you build your forest.

The Base

Any style of tree you plan to build will need to stand upright on its own, so you’ll need a good base.  A very effective base material is heavy plywood.  It’s strong and sturdy and adds some weight to the bottom of the tree.  At minimum, you need a cutout of a circle large enough to support the tree.  If your tree will be made with lumber, you can attach this base directly to the bottom of the tree with screws.  Another method is to attach a length of PVC or galvanized steel pipe to the base.  The vertical length of pipe is a useful way to hold your tree upright.  For either material, there are appropriate pipe fittings with a flat side that can be screwed into the plywood and a space to insert the pipe.  Using the same methods, you can also use larger cuts of plywood as the base for several trees.  Just cut an irregular or semi-circular shape that’s almost the size of the full sheet of plywood.  On top of that, you could add a few trees, a rock, bushes or whatever to create a little forest scene.

Another method of building a base for a tree is with lumber boards.  2x4s are best, but 2x2s will work for smaller trees.  Cut small pieces and attach them directly to the tree, forming a cross or X shape.  The four extensions will keep your tree from tipping in any direction.  A T shape will work as well if you want a flat face on the downstage side of the tree, which is nice for cutout trees, but keep in mind the risk that creates.  The tree could fall forward on the stage unless the backside extension is weighed down with a sandbag.

Boards can also be used as supports, instead of base material.  With this method, the boards are attached at the midpoint of the tree or higher and extend angled behind the tree to the floor like a brace.  Keep in mind that this sort of construction may also require you to secure it to the stage floor in some way, either by sandbag or screwing into the stage.

Cutouts

Lots of theatres use cutouts for scenery, and cutout trees are easy to make and can be very visually stunning.  Creating the cutout is as simple as outlining the profile of the tree, cutting the shape out with a jigsaw or utility knife, and applying paint.  It’s then attached to a length of lumber, either 2x4 or 2x2, which serves as the vertical support that is secured to the base.  If using steel pipe for vertical support as described above, the cutout may be secured with wire or metal straps.

There are lots of materials that can be used for cutouts, but cardboard, plywood and foam board are used most often.  Cardboard is cheap and lightweight.  When painted, cardboard can provide a surprisingly effective representation for such a simple and inexpensive building material.  The drawback of using cardboard is that it can be difficult to cut with precision and some cardboard sheets may have ridges or heavy print that doesn’t disappear even after a coat of paint.  My favorite building material is foam board, the kind sold in large sheets in the insulation department at home improvement stores.  It’s lightweight, which makes scene changes a breeze.  It’s also sturdy and takes paint very well.  It also cuts extremely easily with a jigsaw if you don’t mind the big mess it makes.  A downside of foam board is that it can be subject to nicks and breaking.  Plywood is most often used because it’s the strongest of the materials and most people are familiar with it.  It can be cut with a jigsaw and also takes paint well.  For making trees, a lighter weight ply is suggested, since heavier grades are more difficult to keep standing upright on stage.

Three Dimensional Trees

If a cutout isn’t for you, then you’re probably aiming for a tree with real dimension.  There are several ways to do this as well.  For small and thin trees, all it takes is a few boards.  Start with a good strong 2x6 or 2x4 attached to the base.  Attach more boards with angled cuts as the tree rises and branches out, forming a basic tree shape.  The boards should get smaller and thinner as you go, moving from 2x4 to 2x2 to 1x1.  Don’t worry so much about the smallest branches.  Those can be done later when you get into the texturing phase.

For bigger trees, you’re going to need to build a proper frame.  Using 2x4s, build out a semi-circular frame that’s as tall as you need the tree to be.  This is your tree trunk.  Wrap chicken wire around the frame to spread the gaps and secure it with staples.  This will also give your tree frame a more natural shape.  Branches can be added to the trunk as described above with smaller trees.

Canopy

Your tree canopy will vary based on the type of tree you build and the time of year.  A deciduous tree in winter will be nothing but branches, so building out your canopy means simply adding the smaller branches and perhaps a stubborn leaf or two that won’t fall off.  I’ve seen a lot of stages using twigs and small branches from real trees to great effect here, but you can also make them from your scrap texture material.  Simply twist into a long thin branch shape, tie off with some twine, and attach.  This is where burlap and paper are especially effective as it’s difficult to make muslin hold its shape.

For full, leafy canopies, there are also several methods.  My favorite is camouflage netting, the kind hunters use to hide from their prey.  It provides an illusion that’s just as effective onstage as it is on the hunting fields.  The downside is the huge upfront expense, unless you can find it cheaply at an army surplus store, garage sale or the like.  Tissue paper in a variety of dark and light greens — or browns and reds and oranges if you’re going for an autumn look — can also be used here.  Wrinkle it up and staple it on here and there until your canopy is full of color.  If you want to get really detailed and realistic, you can always go with leafy foliage from the craft or floral store, but that option may be more pricy in the long run than the camo netting as it tends to fall apart over the years.

Paint and Texture

Whether you’re working with a cutout or a tree with realistic dimensions, you’ll want to apply paint and maybe texture.  Burlap is my favorite tree texture material, as it has a rough and natural feel to it.  Muslin works well, too.  The cheapest texture material is butcher paper, which can create a great effect for very little cost.

Wrap the texture material around the tree, but not flat.  Mimic the rough texture of trees by wrapping the material unevenly.  Muslin can be applied with a mixture of glue and water.  Any of these materials can be applied with staples.  I’ve always preferred staples.  They’re quick and not as messy, but a little water, glue and muslin can be useful when trying to achieve certain textures.  Plus, it tends to hold up better if you intend to keep your trees for future use.

While you’re adding texture, keep in mind the little details you want to add to the trunk of the tree.  Does it need roots or knots or maybe some creeping vines?  You’ll want to add these before you paint.  Knots can be made out of the scraps from your texture material.  Simply twist it up or ball it up into a funky, knotty shape and pop it on with a staple.  Add a creeping vine or two by stapling on some rope.  Once your paint is applied, the knots and vines will have your tree looking incredibly authentic.

You will want to paint your tree with at least a base coat of the primary color of your tree.  But you can add texture with paint, too.  Or, if you are using nothing but a cutout and paint, you can texturize your tree with paint alone.  Simply dry brush in darker wood grain, then do some light highlights with brighter color.

So the next time you’re overwhelmed with set design and feel you can’t see the forest for the trees, remember, there are lots of options to help you create a fabulous illusion onstage.