Nuts & Bolts: Sine of the Times

If you notice anything unusual about the Agassiz stage this weekend, it could be ladders running from the stage to the balcony, a giant projection screen/backdrop, the presence of a new wall or the 600 lb. doric column lovingly known to the cast and crew of Timon of Athens as "X."

Stage designer/astrophysicist Josh Goldston '01 has designed and constructed a giant Greek pillar that occupies over 300 cubic feet of stage space. What's more impressive, the entire piece is tilted upon its axis at a five degree angle to the floor. As the geometrically inclined amongst you will recognize, creating a nonperpendicular cylinder necessitates cutting a sine wave into plywood. There are easier things to do with a table saw.

When Timon strikes after its final performance on Saturday, "X" will be reduced to a sizable pile of sawdust, but the memory of its mathematical glory will live on.