Storage in drama suites
Ample storage should be an integral feature of every drama facility. Many otherwise excellent drama facilities are of limited use because storage was treated as an afterthought or was allotted insufficient space.
Secure, accessible storage should be carefully planned. Think about where to locate various storage areas when the building is being designed – easy access to the stored items is as important as having them handy.
Items to store
Following is a checklist of items that may need to be stored (if not now, possibly in the future):
- platforms and rostra for both staging and audience seating, and a variety of boxes that can be stacked inside each other
- screens for on-stage use, and maybe flats for sets
- curtains – note that some quite bulky
- furniture for use on-stage, including chairs, tables, sofas
- large props, such as pot plants and television sets
- small props, such as glasses, cutlery, baggage
- seating for the audience
- puppets and masks
- costumes, including hats and shoes
- theatrical lighting equipment
- set- and prop-making tools and materials, including paints and timber framing
- musical instruments
- make-up
- sound and video gear, including cameras
- scripts and other texts – see also the 'Ancillary facilities' page
- work-in-progress, such as props and sets
- archives of past productions, including photos, mementoes and videos.
Access
Remember you will need to move equipment in and out of its storage area and around the building often, so ease of access is very important. Consider the following:
- locate storage areas close to the main drama studio, possibly opening directly into it via wide/double doors
- avoid steps (even ridges in doorways) between spaces inside the facility
- make all internal and external doorways double-width and high
- bi-fold doors are useful on large storage cupboards within classrooms or in corridors, since they can open right back to provide easy access to equipment
- provide a mix of big open shelves, racks, rods for clothes hangers, hooks on walls, and lockable cupboards – this could save space in the long run
- make sure the storage area for large items (such as staging and seating) opens directly onto a loading bay that is easily accessible by vehicles.
Tips
Other tips on storage:
- some equipment is valuable and fragile, so it needs protection – the ability to lock rooms or cupboards is essential, even if teachers choose not to do so at all times
- even if you have a separate theatre and the drama studio has built-in lighting equipment, you could need storage for lights, extension leads, and maybe mixing gear in the drama suite
- classes will have wet or fragile work-in-progress to store (such as props, masks, costumes, and puppets) – these will need to be kept secure
- even if there is storage in a theatre, you will need to store properties, furniture, screens, and costumes in the drama suite.