Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s “Twelfth Night” goes on swimmingly at its Navy Pier home

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s production of “Twelfth Night” presented a unique challenge to Chicago Scenic: building and installing a 21-foot-wide by 29-feet-long pool which was seven feet deep at its center and eight inches deep in the surrounding areas, holding 7,000 gallons of water in all.

After much engineering and a lengthy installation, set designer Lucy Osborne’s watery vision for the play became a reality. Actors could walk down a set of stairs to be completely immersed, and also wade and splash about in an area just eight inches deep.

Chicago Scenic built the platform and risers made of sealed cedar planking that stood in and above the water and enabled actors to walk and climb on dry land.
The large set piece at the rear of the stage, formed by two 22-foot-tall pieces, was comprised of hundreds of cedar planks that were cut to size, sealed and carefully pieced together on site. Fully assembled, the set pieces represent two halves of a heart formed from the remnants of a shipwreck.

CSSI has worked on many productions at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, including “Hamlet,” “Troilus and Cressida” and “Cymbeline”.

Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre inspires CSSI’s new, smaller motion control system: “Mini 8”

CSSI proudly introduces its new motion control system that fits the bill for smaller productions. The new system—dubbed “Mini 8”—grew out of Chicago Steppenwolf Theatre’s needs as it prepared for a production of “The Tempest”. The theater needed a way to integrate its older electronics and machinery with the newer pieces of equipment rented from Chicago Scenic. CSSI saw the opportunity to offer theaters and other clients a smaller-scale control system, and so Mini 8 was born. The six-month development process produced a thoroughly tested, responsive and reliable control system.

The Mini 8, an analog system, is based on the digital CS Control, CSSI’s large-scale motion control system that can run up to 100-600 axes of motion, compared to the Mini 8, which runs between eight and 64 axes of motion. The Mini 8 has all the functionality of the larger CS Control since it uses the same software, and is able to run and control various mechanical systems, from turntables and winches to pneumatic and hydraulic systems. It can be easily programmed to interface with audio-visual equipment through SMPTE and practical lighting. Other features include time reference cuing, auto advance and auto follow.

Because Mini 8 is smaller, it also comes with a lower price point, making it perfect for smaller projects. Many organizations will find Mini 8 ideal because it can seamlessly work with older equipment as well as new equipment that might be added in the future. Its user-friendly interface (which comes with 24-hour technical support) vastly reduces staff training time prior to the system being operative. The interface is identical to CS Control, ensuring a seamless upgrade or combination.

Contact Rob Kovarik, 312-274-9900, to discuss automation and control rental and/or purchase.

Mini 8 at a Glance

• Small-scale analog motion-control
system perfect for smaller organizations and budgets
• Controls eight axes of motion
simultaneously and provides precise
positioning and consistent reliability
• Integrates into a client’s pre-
existing machinery and drive components or CSSI can provide those components
• Executes precise and repeatable cues
• Control machines individually or by groups of like machines
• Auto-advance cues, time referencing cues, auto-follow cues
• Nearly limitless number of
programmable stops
• Three levels of travel limits:
programmed internal limits;
programmed ultimate limits; option of hard limit inputs
• Distance scalable by inches, feet,
degrees or even metric measurements
• Touch-screen interface
• Can be incrementally increased in
modules of eight through ganging
• Multi E-stop positions
• 24-hour technical support