What is a maquette?
- A maquette is a scale representation of a stage. Directors and designers the world over use maquettes to visualize plays and experiment with new ideas.
What is this product?
- Stand Up Shakespeare figures are ¼” scale characters from Romeo and Juliet, and other Shakespearian plays. Complete with clear stands, you can re-enact the entire play, or set up your favorite scenes.
Wait.. ¼” scale? What does that mean??
- Good question! Simply for every foot you measure in-real-life, you draw out ¼”. So a 6-foot tall person would be represented by a figure 1-½” tall. Simple, right? So a stage that is 20′ wide and 15′ deep would be represented with a model 5″ wide and 3.75″ deep. In Metric? That’s a 6.1 x 4.6 m stage is a 125 x 95 mm model … more or less!
- Feet? – divide your IRL measurement by 4, and that is your model measurement in inches!
- Metric? – divide your IRL measurement in mm by 48 and that is your model measurement in mm!
Who would use it?
- We focus on people who love the work of The Bard, but we realize that these little people are just plain fun! We have spoken to teachers, students, directors, playwrights, friends-of-the-theatre, and collectors; each have had their own plan for how they will use the figures. How will *you* use them?
I don’t know anything about theatre, but the characters are kinda cool, and I’d like to know more. Can Stand Up Shakespeare help?
- Thanks so much, we appreciate the compliment. Yes, the figures can help. By setting the figures while following with the play, you get a sense of the flow of the play.
I’m no actor or director… how do you use the figures?
- The best part of having a set of figures is that it instantly makes you your own actor and director, all the world becomes your stage, or at least your desktop! The play indicates some stage direction that characters follow. From there you ‘block’ our movements on the stage as you like it. To further help, we include further instructions, a glossary and stage-direction guide with the figures.
Do you have characters for my favorite play called “________”?
- We are working on other Shakespearian plays currently. We would love to hear from you! Let us know your favorite. Maybe that will be next!
Why Shakespeare?
- Well, we simply LOVE Shakespeare! Also, most people are introduced to the theatre through Shakespeare, so why not do what people enjoy? The tapestry of the Bard is immense.
Cool! I love my Romeo &Juliet figures! When will you release the next play and what is it?
- LOL! Thanks! We are working with our team and feedback from customers to ensure that we release the next play as soon as possible, with the highest quality, and most in-demand plays. Just like a good play, however, we can’t spoil the plot. Stay tuned!
How about maquettes of the stage and props?
- That’s a good idea! That’s why we are working on this as a future package. In the meantime, the package includes some simple instructions to create your own theatre to scale. Share your results on Instagram!
What scale are these figures?
- The figures for Stand Up Shakespeare are scaled for one-foot in real life is scaled to one-quarter inch in the maquette.
That is a cool stage. Do you have any for sale?
- We have put our heart and soul into getting the figures out. We made a small stage based on one of our favorite local stages to demonstrate how to do it. Stay tuned and we’ll see what we can do to help. Until then, try your hand making your own stage, following the instructions in your Romeo & Juliet package. Update: We have published the stage from the photos. Visit News!
They’re cute! How did you design them?
- Our professional director and artist shared a common vision for this play, with the desire to make it fun and entertaining. The clothes are illustrated to be a starting point when visualizing the play, while keeping the imagery simple. We hope you like them.
You use PayPal. Is it safe?
- You betcha! We aren’t web-shop gurus. We are theatre enthusiasts. We trust PayPal as a professional partner to reach other enthusiasts, and leave the transaction security to the professionals that have done it for years.
I teach Shakespeare, and would like to purchase a set of figures for each of my students. Do you offer bulk purchasing?
- That’s a great idea! Contact us privately through Facebook or e-mail, and we will help you get these into your students’ hands. [email protected]
OK, I’m in! How do I purchase them?
- Select retailers will have Stand Up Shakespeare, but your best bet will be to order directly from us, and have it shipped. We use Canada Post for shipments to keep costs down. If you need your order sooner, drop us an e-mail, and we will set it up!