How to Choose Stage Curtains for a School or University Auditorium

When it’s time to replace or upgrade the stage curtains in a school or university auditorium, the decision involves a lot more than aesthetics. The wrong fabric, the wrong hanging system, or a missed fire code requirement can mean costly do-overs — or worse. This guide is designed for the facilities managers, theater directors, and school administrators who are responsible for getting it right.

Start With the Space, Not the Fabric

Before you look at a single swatch, get clear on the functional requirements of your stage. The answers will drive every decision that follows.

Questions to ask before shopping:

• What is the width and height of the proscenium opening?
• How much wing space is available for legs and borders?
• Do you need a full fly system, or is this a dead-hung installation?
• What’s the primary use of the space — drama, music, assemblies, multipurpose?
• Are there acoustics considerations? (Heavily draped stages absorb sound; open stages reflect it)
• What’s the condition of the existing rigging hardware and tracks?

An experienced theatrical supplier or contractor can conduct a site visit and help you answer these questions accurately before any purchasing decisions are made. This is almost always worth the time — a measurement error on a large main drape is an expensive mistake.

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Understanding the Types of Stage Curtains

School stages typically require several types of curtains working together as a system. Here’s what each one does:

1. Main Drape (Grand Drape)

The main drape is the primary front curtain — the one the audience sees when they walk in. It typically parts in the center (a “traveler” configuration) or flies up into the grid. It’s often the heaviest, most expensive curtain on the stage, and the one that makes the first impression.

Common materials: Velour (most popular for schools), commando cloth, duvetyn

2. Legs

Legs hang on the sides of the stage, framing the performance area and masking the wings from the audience. Most stage configurations use two to four sets of legs, depending on the depth of the stage.

3. Borders

Borders are horizontal masking curtains hung above the stage to hide the lighting pipes, battens, and fly space from the audience’s sightlines. The number of borders needed depends on your stage depth and the sightlines from your seating area.

4. Cyclorama (Cyc)

A cyclorama is a large curved or flat backdrop — typically white or light grey — used to create the illusion of sky or open space, and to accept lighting washes and projections. Not every school stage needs one, but it dramatically expands what a stage can do.

5. Scrims

A scrim is a loosely-woven fabric that appears opaque when lit from the front and transparent when lit from behind. It’s a versatile tool for theatrical effects. Scrims are optional for most school stages but worth considering if the program is active.

6. Blackout Curtains

Used to block light in multipurpose rooms or spaces with windows, blackout curtains serve a functional rather than theatrical purpose.

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Choosing the Right Fabric

Fabric selection affects appearance, durability, acoustics, and maintenance. For school settings, the most important factors are usually durability, appearance under stage lighting, and ease of maintenance.

1. Velour

The most popular choice for school main drapes and legs. Velour has a rich, traditional look, holds color well under stage lighting, and has some acoustic absorption. It’s available in a wide range of colors — not just traditional burgundy and black.

Best for: Main drapes, legs, borders

2. Commando Cloth (Duvetyn)

A matte black fabric with good light-absorption properties. Less formal-looking than velour, but often used for legs and borders where the goal is to disappear rather than make a statement.

Best for: Masking legs, borders, blackout applications

3. Muslin

A natural, unbleached cotton fabric often used for backdrops and cycloramas. Inexpensive and paintable, but not as durable as synthetic options.

Best for: Painted backdrops, practice or budget scenarios

4. Chroma Key Fabric

Green or blue screen fabric used for video production. Increasingly common in schools with TV production programs or hybrid performance/media spaces.

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Fire Code Compliance Is Non-Negotiable

This is the item most commonly overlooked in DIY or budget purchasing situations: all stage drapery in a school must meet NFPA 701 fire retardancy standards. No exceptions.

There are two ways curtains achieve this compliance:

1. Inherently flame-retardant (IFR) fabrics — The flame retardancy is built into the fiber itself and doesn’t wash out or expire.
2. Topically treated fabrics — Standard fabrics that have been chemically treated. These treatments have a limited lifespan (typically 3–5 years) and must be renewed periodically and documented.

When purchasing new curtains, ask specifically whether the fabric is IFR or topically treated, and get documentation. Your fire marshal may ask for it, and your insurance carrier may require it.

If you have existing curtains that haven’t been re-treated in several years, they should be tested or retreated before the next production season. M. Cramer & Associates provides professional flameproofing services for existing drapery.

Hardware and Hanging Systems

New curtains often mean new or updated hardware. The main considerations are:

• Track systems — Manual travelers vs. motorized tracks. Motorized systems are increasingly affordable and eliminate the need for someone in the wings to open and close the main drape by hand.
• Pipe and batten capacity — Make sure your existing rigging can support the weight of new curtains, especially if upgrading from a lightweight fabric to velour.
• Fullness and pleating — Standard theatrical curtains are typically fabricated at 50% fullness (twice the fabric for the width) for a full, rich look. Flat panels are less expensive but look noticeably different.

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Working With a Local Theatrical Supplier

Buying stage curtains online without a site visit is a gamble. Measurements need to be precise, hardware compatibility matters, and installation requires experience. A local supplier who can visit your space, review your rigging, and manage fabrication and installation end-to-end will save you far more in avoided mistakes than the price difference.

M. Cramer & Associates has been fabricating and installing custom stage curtains for schools, universities, community theaters, and performing arts venues throughout the Philadelphia region and the broader Northeast — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington D.C. — for over 30 years.

We handle everything: measurements, custom fabrication, hardware, installation, and flameproofing documentation.

Request a stage curtain quote or learn more about our curtains and rigging services.