The Current Stage Machine Design Challenge

This year’s challenge: Petal Drop

The director and design team for a production of Much Ado About Nothing have decided that during the wedding scene, they’d like to see a beautiful “rainfall” of flower petals over the lovers. It is your responsibility to make this happen.

Here are some things you know about the effect:

• It takes place center stage.
• The area the petals should cover as they fall should be an approximately 3-foot diameter circle.
• The petals used for this effect will be silk flower petals, approximately 1½” x 1½” in size.
• The petals should fall gently, slowly, and continuously for about 30 seconds (note that neither the director nor the designers have been specific about what “gently” or “slowly” means; you’ll need to make some educated decisions).
• The total distance the petals must fall (between the level the lovers stand on and the lowest masked place the petal drop device can exist) is 15 feet.
• The petal drop device itself will hang on a 1½” Schedule 40 batten, and must have a footprint not greater than 20″ by 20″.
• The petal drop device, once installed, will be inaccessible to stage hands or crew, unable to be lowered, and must be reloadable from the ground without using a ladder or lift.
• The petal drop device must be operated from 25 feet offstage of the effect; the operator will be on a level 15 feet below the level of the petal drop device.
• The petal drop device must be reloadable in less than 10 minutes.
• The moment in the play when the petal drop is in use has some musical scoring, but it is light and airy—meaning the petal drop device should be relatively silent.
• The producers are interested in any device you design being reusable for other drop effects, including snow, confetti, and ping pong balls.
• Device should be mechanical and operated manually, not motorized.

On the day of the competition, the organizers will provide:

• Schedule 40 batten
• Ladders for access
• Petals

On the day of the competition, each team will provide:

• Their petal drop device
• Hardware and tools needed for device installation

The winning team will be given:

• Personalized awards
• Passes to the annual United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) conference.
• The opportunity to showcase the winning device at the USITT conference, with prototype shipping costs covered by the Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering at Purdue University.