SCOTT M. BOYLE
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Props Projects and Wood Working
A Little Night Music
Chaise Lounge
Finished Chaise
Painting and Upholstery competed by others
Bare Frame
Built from Poplar, MDF & Plywood
I was hired by the Repertory Theater of St. Louis to build this chaise for a production of A Little Night Music. The scenic designer, John Ezell, provided me with very detailed designer drawings of the piece. A majority of the frame was built from poplar. I carved the filigree out of MDF. The soft-goods artisan was responsible for upholstering it after it came back from the paint shop.
The . . . Watson Intelligence
Original Bell Telephone
This prop I built using a combination of the sketch I received from the props designer and historical research. It was built mostly from MDF with bits of a funnel and a chunk of PVC pipe. As per the needs of the play, the front funnel had to be removable and act like a telephone receiver.
A Man For All Seasons
Lion Leg Table
For this table I carved the legs by hand based on a design given to me by designer Keith Pitts. The corbels on the front of the legs was well as the moulding around the apron of the table and were purchased.
Street Scene
Hydrant
For UMD's production of Street Scene, designer Arden Weaver, asked if there was a fire hydrant available. While we had one in stock, I decided to make one so it was easier to move and we could securely mount it to the stage floor as it was going to be used as a perch in one of the dance numbers.
I turned most of this project on a lathe we had in the scene shop. For the main body of the hydrant, I glued a series of 2x4's into a rough column. Then I turned it on the lathe so it was a smooth cylinder. The hose attachments on the side were also turned and cut on a band saw so they would fit the diameter of the column. The cap was also turned leaving a space big enough for the dancer to perch themselves in mid-air.
The Three Penny Opera
Harpsichord
For a production of The Three Penny Opera at the University of Arkansas we needed something like a piano for Mack the Knife to cut the legs off so his guests had a place to sit. I built the harpsichord based off one owned by the music department. I constructed the case out of plywood and covered it with lauan for a nicer finish. Since the legs had to be cut off every night, I made 44 tapered legs with a "decorative" notch placed at the point the actor needed to cut. Since the action had to be timed with the music, the notch was fairly deep so the actor could cut the leg off in two or three strokes.
Dracula
Hollow Sphere Globe
This was the first prop I ever built. If I had really appreciated at the time how difficult this was going to be, I probably wouldn't have attempted it. Even with the project instructions from a woodworking magazine to guide me it took nearly 2 months to build.
The globe portion was made from scrap 2x4s cut into arc segments which then were cut with a taper so the segment was thicker at the equator than at the poles. 44 segments went into each hemisphere which were glued together. Once I had both hemispheres constructed I glued them together and sanded it smooth. I sketched in and hand stained the continents.
The base I actually did design. It was constructed from mostly scrap plywood and 2x4 with a turned bit of a newel post to serve as the stem.
Wood Working Projects
Below are some wood working projects I have done as gifts and for fun. Some are original designs others are based off of others work. I have always enjoyed wood working and carving. Boxes like you see below require much tighter tolerances than what we work with in scenic carpentry. That kind of challenge as well as working with different kinds of woods makes for a very fun hobby.
Balance
Built from Baltic Birch Plywood and Mesquite
Chicago Box
Built from Baltic Birch Plywood and Mahogany
Burham Box
Built from Baltic Birch Plywood and Mahogany
