|
Rigging Term |
Description |
| Act Curtain |
A curtain (sometimes designed for a
specific show) that is opened to signal the
beginning of a performance. The Front Curtain is
often used for this purpose. |
| Arbor |
A carriage or rack that contains weights,
usually flame cut steel or cast iron, in
sufficient quantity to balance a
load. |
| Audience |
The area of the theater where visitors sit
to view a performance. |
| Auditorium |
A hall or seating area within the hall
where the audience views a
performance. |
| Austrian Curtain |
A curtain that is raised (opened) with
brailed lifting lines and is sewn with both
vertical and horizontal fullness. |
| Batten |
A bar, usually made from steel pipe, from
which scenery, lights and curtains are
hung. |
| Beam Clamp |
A device from which a load is hung,
attached to the flange of a steel beam without
altering the beam in any way. |
| Belaying Pin |
A wood or steel rod, inserted into a hole
in a pin rail, that secures ropes attached to a
load. |
| Border Curtain |
A curtain used to define the top limit of
the stage and to mask or hide lights and unused
scenery and curtains. |
| Brail Curtain |
A curtain that is raised (opened) with
brail type lift lines and is sewn flat or has
horizontal fullness. |
| Brail Lines |
Lifting lines that pass through a row of
rings sewn to the back of the curtain and attach
at the curtain bottom. The curtain folds up when
the lines are pulled. |
| Cable Roller |
A roller assembly designed to prevent
moving cables from contacting any part of a
building or adjacent rigging. Not intended to
change cable direction or carry
loads. |
| Capstan Winch |
A winch, usually portable, with an
un-grooved drum designed to assist in moving heavy
loads. An operator wraps a rope around the drum
and pulls to tighten the rope on the drum.
Friction causes the rope to travel with the
rotating drum. |
| Carriage |
See "Arbor." |
| Clew |
Device that connects several ropes or
cables to one, usually stronger, rope or
cable. |
| Compensating Line |
A system of light and heavy chains or
cables that balances lift line weight as it
transfers from the batten to the arbor side of a
moving counterweight set. |
| Contour Curtain |
A brail or austrian curtain rigged so that
each lift line may be operated separately to form
different shaped openings. |
| Counterweight |
(n) Weights, usually flame cut steel or
cast iron, that are placed in counterweight arbors
to balance the weight of loads hung on battens.
(v) The act of adding or removing weight from a
set in order to achieve a balanced
system. |
| Cyclorama |
(1) Curtain at the rear of the performance
area used to represent the sky or distant areas.
(2) Set of borders, legs, and drops used to define
the limits of a performance area. |
| Dash Pot |
An adjustable, hydraulic ram that smoothly
slows and stops a moving object. |
| Dead End |
The end of a rope or part of a device that
is not active or load carrying. |
| Dead Haul |
Pulling a load that is not
counterbalanced. |
| Dead Load |
The permanent or non-removable part of a
system load (i.e. the weight of a batten versus
the load hung from it). |
| Double Purchase |
A rope or cable that passes from a lifting
device (arbor, winch, or person) over a block, to
a block attached to the load, and tied off at the
previous block, is double purchased. The system
allows twice as much load to be raised for a given
effort, but the rope or cable must be pulled twice
as far, so the total work done remains the
same. |
| Down Stage |
The area of the stage that is closest to
the audience. See "Raked Stage." |
| Drum Winch |
A winch with a drum for wrapping up cable
as it is taken up. |
| Equal Pitch |
All grooves on a sheave have the same pitch
diameter regardless of the diameter of the cables
or ropes. |
| Fire Safety Curtain |
A curtain that closes automatically in
event of a fire to prevent heat, smoke and flames
on the stage from reaching the
audience. |
| Fireline |
Firelines are installed around the
perimeter of a stage-proscenium arch to hold the
fire safety curtain open. Firelines connect the
curtain to all manual electrical and heat
activated devices that release the safety
curtain. |
| Fleet Angle |
The angle formed between the centerline of
a sheave or drum and another sheave or fixed
point. |
| Floor Block |
Pulley mounted at the floor to hold a rope
or cable in position and to reverse its direction.
Floor blocks meant for rope often incorporate a
means of adjustment to accommodate changes in
length due to loads or environmental
conditions. |
| Fly |
The act of lifting scenery, lights, and
curtains. |
| Fly Gallery |
A gallery or catwalk above the stage floor
from which counterweight and hemp (rope) rigging
is operated. |
| Fly Loft |
The space between the roof and the
performance area that is not visible to the
audience. |
| Front Curtain (House Curtain) |
A curtain used to define the stage location
to the arriving audience. It is often the curtain
closest to the audience and may also perform the
function of an "Act Curtain." |
| Fullness |
Additional fabric that is added to a
curtain to be sewn into pleats. 100 percent
fullness means that the curtain would be double
its finished width before the pleats are
made. |
| Gridiron (Grid) |
An open floor, usually made from light
steel channels or grating, that is located near
the roof steel. It provides mounting locations for
rigging equipment and access to that equipment for
inspection and maintenance. |
| Guide |
To control the movement of rigging devices
by means of slides or rollers moving in tracks or
on stretched cables. |
| Hand Line |
A line, usually rope, that is pulled by
hand to lift or control the movement of a
load. |
| Head Block |
A pulley mounted to support steel that
changes the direction of lift and operating lines
between the loft blocks and an arbor or
winch. |
| Head Block Beams |
Structural steel designed to support the
head blocks and carry vertical and horizontal
loads. |
| Hemp (Rope or Spotline) Rigging |
A rigging system that employs ropes and
sandbags instead of counterweight arbors or other
devices. Usually used for temporary
rigging. |
| House |
See "Auditorium." |
| House Left/Right |
The sides of an auditorium as seen by an
audience member while facing the
stage. |
| Idler |
A pulley designed to support one or more
cables but not to make direction
changes. |
| Incremental Block |
A multi-grooved pulley that supports and
changes the direction of cables between the load
and the head block and that supports other, more
distant, lines in the set. |
| Index Light |
A series of lamps in a special housing
designed to illuminate the locking or pinrail
area. |
| Lattice Track |
A parallel pair of angles or other
structural members that guide an arbor or clew.
Low friction slides or roller guides are placed on
both sides of the device to be
guided. |
| Leg Curtain |
A curtain used to define the side limit of
the stage and to mask or hide actors, lights, and
unused scenery in the off stage area
(wings). |
| Lighting Bridge |
A walkway across the stage (fixed or flown)
where lights are hung and where they may be
adjusted and maintained. |
| Line Shaft Winch |
Winch with a series of cable drums
connected to a gearbox by a common
shaft. |
| Live End |
The end of a rope or part of a device that
is active or load carrying. |
| Live Load |
That part of a system load that may be
added or deleted (i.e. lights hung from a pipe
batten). |
| Load Brake |
A secondary brake that holds the full load
in the system, usually in the case of a failure in
the system. |
| Loading Gallery (Loading Bridge) |
A gallery above the stage floor where
technicians add and remove counterweights from the
arbors. Usually located so technicians have access
to arbors when battens are at their lowest
positions. |
| Loading Rail |
A structural railing designed to support
rope locks in a way that allows them to be safely
operated. It carries any out of balance loads from
the rigging system held by rope
locks. |
| Loft Block |
A pulley mounted to the gridiron or support
steel that supports and changes the direction of a
lift line cable between the load and the head
block. |
| Masking |
A set of curtains or scenic elements used
to define the visual limits of a performance
area. |
| Mouse |
To wrap the end of a rope, cable or
turnbuckle to prevent it from
unwinding. |
| Mule Block |
A pulley that supports and changes the
direction of one or more cables traveling between
loft blocks and head block. |
| Multi-Sheave Block |
A block which contains a number of sheaves
and sets of bearings so that each rope or cable
can operate independently. |
| Off Stage |
The stage floor area that is not a part of
the acting area and is not visible to the
audience. |
| Olio Curtain |
A curtain located between the "Front" or
"Act" curtains and the "Rear" curtain that closes
off a portion of the acting area for more intimate
presentations. It is often colored or
decorative. |
| On Stage |
The portion of the stage area visible to
the audience, usually defined by masking curtains,
scenery, an orchestra shell, or by
lighting. |
| Orchestra |
(1) A group of musicians who play
instrumental selections (2) The portion of the
auditorium on the main floor that is closest to
the musicians and the acting area. |
| Orchestra Lift |
A moving platform that is used to adjust
the elevation of the musicians in relation to the
stage and auditorium. Usually operates within the
confines of an orchestra pit. |
| Orchestra Pit |
A depressed area between the stage and
audience seating area where musicians sit, so the
audience can hear the music and see the
performance over the heads of the
musicians. |
| Orchestra Shell |
An enclosure on stage, consisting of walls
and a ceiling that reflects sound into the
auditorium. Usually decorative in
nature. |
| Outrigger |
A barrier device that protects
counterweight arbors from scenery, etc. that may
be leaned against them. Often also supports index
lights. |
| Overspeed Brake |
A secondary brake designed to halt a load
if it exceeds a preset speed. |
| Pileup Winch |
Winch with special drum that piles up cable
in a single layer in a slot. Also called a "Yo-Yo"
drum winch. |
| Pinrail |
A railing with holes to accept belaying
pins. May also act as a safety railing at the edge
of a gallery or walkway. |
| Pipe Clamp |
Clamping device that bolts around a pipe
for attachment of chain or cable
hangers. |
| Pipe Grid |
Horizontal structure hung over a stage or
auditorium to support lights and scenery. Made
from pipes crossing on right angles at set
intervals. |
| Pitch Diameter |
Diameter of a sheave or drum measured from
the center line of the cable wrapped around
it. |
| Pivot Block |
A pulley designed to adjust to structures
at odd angles. |
| Portal |
A portal consists of a header (border) and
tabs (legs) that can be moved to adjust the size
and shape of the proscenium opening to fit various
performance needs. It is usually located just up
stage of the front curtain and may have provision
for mounting lights. |
| Proscenium |
The dividing wall or barrier between
audience and the stage. |
| Proscenium Arch |
The opening in the proscenium through which
the audience views a performance. |
| Raked Stage |
A sloped platform that is lower near the
audience for better visibility and higher at the
rear, providing the illusion of distance. This is
the source for the terms "Down Stage" and "Up
Stage." |
| Rope Lock |
A cam operated device that clamps the hand
line that is attached to an arbor in order to
prevent movement. Designed to hold the unbalanced
load in a set. |
| Safety Chain |
(1) A secondary support line, usually of
chain, that supports a fire curtain or other
device when the primary support cable become slack
for any reason. (2) The extra weight of fire
curtain safety chains helps the fire curtain
accelerate at the start of its
travel. |
| Sag Bar |
A support rail, usually of wood or plastic,
that keeps cables from sagging over a horizontal
span due to their own weight. Sag bars don't carry
any loads. |
| Sandbag |
A fabric bag that can be filled with sand
and attached to rope rigging as a counterbalance
to the load hung from the set. |
| Scrim |
A curtain made from a semi-transparent
material that looks solid when lit from the
audience side and becomes almost invisible when
back lit. |
| Self-Climbing |
A pipe grid or batten that has an integral
device for raising and lowering. |
| Set |
A system of cables, pulleys, lifting
devices and battens that holds a specific set of
scenic elements, curtains or lights. |
| Sheave |
A component with a groove around its
circumference to support and contain a rope or
cable and a bearing at its center to permit
rotation about a shaft. |
| Single Purchase |
A rope or cable passing from a lifting
device (arbor, winch, or person) over a block, or
series of blocks, to a load is single purchased.
Force must be exerted equal to the load to be held
or raised. |
| Slack Line |
A cable that droops or leaves the sheave or
drum groove because it lacks tension in the
line. |
| Smoke Pocket |
A slot, usually of fabricated steel that
supports a guide system at the edges of a fire
safety curtain and that helps to prevent smoke
passing around the edges of the curtain.
|
| Spotline Rigging |
A temporary rigging system designed to be
easily installed. Often rigged with rope instead
of counterweight. |
| Stage |
A platform on which performances are
given. |
| Stage Left/Right |
The left and right sides of a stage as seen
by an actor standing on stage facing the
audience. |
| Stage Lift |
A portion of the stage floor that may be
raised or lowered. |
| Straight Lift Curtain |
A curtain that can be raised (opened)
without folding in any way. |
| Swivel Block |
A pulley that rotates in the horizontal
plane |
| Tab |
(1) A masking leg that is mounted at right
angles to the front of the stage. (2) See
"Portal." |
| Tag Line |
A line attached to a load to assist in
controlling its movement. |
| Tee Guides |
"T" shaped members placed in parallel rows
to guide arbors or clews. Guides may consist of
low friction slides or rollers. |
| Tieoff Bracket |
A bracket attached to rigging blocks,
gridiron, or other structure to hold wires for
guiding clews. |
| Traction Drive Winch |
Winch with a v-grooved drum that uses
friction between cables and the sides of the
grooves to engage the pulling cables. Increasing
the cable tension causes the cables to jam tighter
in the v-grooves. |
| Travel |
The path of moving stage equipment and the
distance moved. |
| Traveler |
A curtain on a track that can be opened or
closed to reveal or mask a portion of the
stage. |
| Tread Pressure |
The force exerted by a rope or cable
against the bottom of a groove in a sheave or
drum. |
| Trim |
(1) A load is "in trim" when the equipment
load equals the counterbalancing weight. (2) A set
or element is trimmed when it has been placed in
the desired position within the performance
area. |
| Trim Chain |
A length of chain placed between a lift
line and a pipe batten or scenic element to
connect them and to facilitate minor height
adjustment of the load. |
| Tripped |
A curtain or scenic element is lifted by a
second set of lines attached at the bottom or
intermediate point on the piece. Pulling the lines
will cause the piece to fold in half or thirds.
Note: If the piece is counterbalanced, the weight
balance will shift as the piece is
tripped. |
| Under Hung |
Hung from the bottom of a beam or
structure. |
| Up Stage |
The portion of the stage that is furthest
from the audience. See "Raked Stage." |
| Upright |
Resting on top of a beam or
structure. |
| Valance |
See "Border." Usually a special border
associated with the "Front Curtain." May be
permanently fixed within the proscenium
arch. |
| Wall Batten |
Horizontal structural members to which
guide tracks are attached. |
| Wall Knee |
Bracket that attaches a wall batten to the
building structure. |
| Well |
An open slot in a gridiron, usually framed
with upright channels, that supports loft blocks
and permits cables to be dropped through the grid
to a batten or other load. |
| Wings |
The portion of the stage area located to
either side of the acting area. |
| Wire Grid |
An open floor that supports lights or
provides access to theatrical equipment. It is
formed of woven cables attached to, and supported
by, a structural frame. |
| Wire Guide |
Wires placed to control the location and
travel of arbors, clews and
curtains. |
