The show closed November 2 in Chicago but hopes to re-open on Broadway next summer.

CSSI engineered and constructed an organically shaped truss system called the “swoop” for this show. It curved, dipped, dove, thanks to CSSI’s highly skilled production and engineering staff. They took the highly inventive and complicated design, applied the design concepts of tube frame construction (used for skyscrapers) and the skin and bulkheads used in ship building, and constructed a very organic, yet extremely strong and rigid shape, while adding mechanical effects.

The result was an enormous scenic element that effortlessly dances on stage. The swoop contains five axes of motion, one of which was used to rotate the entire swoop (weighing in at approximately two-and-a-half tons) 180° and one that lifted it in and out of the Goodman Theatre’s existing truss system. Three other axes were used to reshape and reposition a drape suspended from the swoop. All of these effects were used to create different scenes and sets. In addition, five Chicago Scenic traveling winches performed the flying effects on and across the stage while a lifting winch lifted an actor into the air and two deck winches provided assistance for other mechanical effects.

After working on this project, CSSI realized the need for its new “Mini 8,” a smaller-scale motion control system. See accompanying story to learn more about this system that is perfect for smaller events.