If you have existing drapes to use as a guide, choosing theater curtains is a lot easier. Because each stage is unique, each set of theater curtains will most likely be unique as well. Aside from size, the amount of fullness the curtain should have, how it will be hung, whether it should be lined, and what kind of fabric it should be made of are all important considerations. The best stage drapes will fit properly and be the appropriate curtain types for the performances that will be staged there.
There will be multiple types of curtains in most auditoriums and stages. The curtain that blocks the audience’s view of the stage is known as a grand drape. When a performance begins, this drape is pulled aside or up. Having a grand drape made of two curtains that overlap slightly in the middle is often the most convenient option. Travelers are theater curtains that meet in the middle in this manner. If you want to draw the drape straight up, go with a contour curtain, which is made up of one piece.
Legs, borders, teasers, and tormentors are examples of other theater curtains. It is sometimes necessary to make the stage appear smaller when a production is performed. On occasion, the top portion of the screen must be obscured. Teasers are horizontally spanning curtains that can be lowered as needed to accomplish this. Further back, borders are used in the same way to condense the space even more. Tormentors are front-of-the-stage side curtains that can be drawn in to make the stage smaller, while legs are used for the same purpose further into the performance area.
The most common type of fabric used for grand drapes and other auxiliary theater curtains is typically velour. If necessary, the inner framing curtains can be purchased in different types of fabric that are less expensive. Because the audience looks at this curtain while waiting for a performance, velour or velvet curtains look best as the grand drape. Because heavy curtains block light better than thin ones, a lining may be required to keep the fabric opaque.
If you need to replace existing curtains, look for a tag with their measurements to make the process easier. If no tag is found, the curtains can be measured. Take a measurement from the floor to the ceiling for the proper height, and from side to side for the proper width, if there aren’t any curtains already in place. The following step is to decide whether you want a flat or pleated curtain.
Pleated theater curtains’ fullness levels are usually expressed in percentages. The fullness of a flat curtain is 0 percent. 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent fullness are the other options. 18 inches (approximately 45.7 cm) of fabric pleated into 12 inches (approximately 30.5 cm) of hanging space make up a 50 percent fullness curtain. 75 percent and 100 percent fullness theater curtains have 21 inches (approximately 53.3 cm) and 24 inches (approximately 53.3 cm) of material in 12 inches (approximately 30.5 cm) of space, respectively.