ROTATING PERFORMANCE STAGE

• US 20150141162A1
• Filed: 01/26/2015
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willowbrook Capital Advisors, LLC
• Original Assignee: Dreamlight Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Fox, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,764,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 472/75
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/02 with moving substructures
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 2005/002 moving the spectator's body
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/22 Theatres; Concert halls; Studios for broadcasting, cinematography, television or similar purposes
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/26 Revolving stages; Stages able to be lowered

Abstract

A theater area includes audience seating that faces outwardly in an “inverted-theater-in-the-round” arrangement towards a ring-shaped performance stage. The performance stage is designed to rotate around the audience area so that each section of the audience can see each part of the stage at different times.

Claims

1. A method of using a performance stage that is moveable around an audience-area, the method comprising:

positioning performance elements in different areas of the performance stage such that visibility of each performance element varies based on location in the audience-area;

moving the performance stage in a movement pattern around the audience-area, wherein the movement pattern causes each respective performance element to be sequentially (a) optimally observable to a portion of the audience-area at a respective time and (b) substantially non-observable to the portion of the audience area at another time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement pattern is substantially circular around an outward-facing audience-area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance elements are performers in a performance group and wherein at least two of the performers are performing at the same time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying, on at least one secondary screen adjacent to a first performer, a real-time video of a second performer from the performance group; and

moving the displayed video in accordance with movements of the first performer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein moving the displayed video comprises moving the secondary screen upon which the video is displayed in unison with the first performer.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the secondary screen comprises a holographic display apparatus configured to display the second performer in life-size at a position on the rotating performance stage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance elements are scenes in a narrative performance, and wherein the scenes the method comprising moving the scenes in accordance with scene changes in the narrative performance.