[SML] Orchestra Pit Netting

[Jon Ares]

On Fri, Dec 12, 2014 at 4:20 PM, Keith Newman via Stagecraft
<stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
>
> I'm at odds with the consultant on protection for the pit.  Their opinion is
> that instinct will keep an actor from getting to close to the edge and going
> in much as the way it is now with the edge of our current stage, which has a
> 3' drop and has a trim piece (a 3/4" kick strip surrounding the perimeter of
> the apron).  Mine is that we should protect our students and cover our asses
> by installing a safety net and potentially get some recessed or
> directionally faced EL wire or LED string that can dimly glow around the pit
> opening.

Dude, you're getting a net. End of story.  :)

We have a net in my space.  In my space (11' deep pit - no lift/that
would be nice) - we started without a net. For about 1.5 days of open
pit.  It wasn't the actors... it was a teacher (who's no longer there,
but only because he went off to Africa to teach) - who left a door
unlocked, and, not paying attention to his training, turned ALL lights
off, including the "night light."  Some kids, wandering around, found
an unlocked door and went "exploring."  Guess what they found? A giant
hole in the floor that they couldn't see in pitch black.  This
resulted in two (of three) kids in the pit - both with broken bones,
and one in a coma.

(This also resulted in them installing an obnoxious 24-hour emergency
lighting system, that has a manually-cranked 2-hour override.  PIA
when trying to run shows/events, but made them happy.)

We've never had anyone fall in the pit (since then). We have, on
occasion, had props roll into the pit, which may nor may not be
stopped by a net.  A baseball rolling into the pit was not stopped, so
surprise, oboes!


-- 
Jon Ares
www.arescreative.com
Follow my twits @jon_ares