# Adjudicator station ideas for a school competition?



## AudJ (Feb 5, 2014)

Wondering if anyone has encountered something like this. I have to create two (2) stations for adjudicators for a large instrumental group (band/string orch.) festival we are hosting in May. There will be minimal if any audience attendance.

Requirements: movable comfortable chair and large work table (approximately desk size) at least half-way back in the audience.

The Problem: most venues I have seen simply put tables and chairs behind the last row of audience seating in their auditorium, but we have an extremely deep aud. (130 ft.) and a balcony, and it would not be fair to anyone to place the adjudicators in the worst listening position in the room, well behind the intended acoustic listening area. 

Temporarily removing permanent seating is not an option, and positioning the adjudicators in the balcony is also not going to work. So this leaves me trying to position a table partially over sloped fixed seating and a chair on a sloped floor of the aisle? Obviously, there are a number of different ways to accomplish this, and I have no problem constructing something.

Before I begin planning, just looking to see what others may have done that is simple, cheap and repeatable. Thank you!


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## Footer (Feb 5, 2014)

Pipe extensions, custom "sturups" that ride on the chairs, platform decks with various length legs. Do a search for "tech table", there might be more info there. The chair is the bigger issue. That one should be nixed.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Feb 5, 2014)

Without a cross aisle I think you build a platform over seats with stirs and railings. Seems to be the plan for show choir competition.


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## Floobydust (Feb 6, 2014)

I built three for a similar event and now the drama teacher uses one for all the rehearsals.

Each one straddles three chairs and the front legs are 4 inches longer than the back legs. 1x4 top frame and plywood legs to fit in between seat gaps.
It just clears the top of the seats and is covered with a standard Formica countertop and I used a couple of battery powered BBQ lights so they could see by.

Don't have any pictures but it works great. They held 150 lbs.

When not used in the audience, the two shorter legs have screw-on 2x2 extensions to make them level and are used as prop tables in the wings.


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## gafftaper (Feb 6, 2014)

In my old school I had a table that had really long legs and fit perfectly over a row of seats. I had two 2x4's screwed together which laid flat on the floor in the front row. Then take two loose pin hinges, attach the hinges to table legs and 2x4. Pull the pins, throw the special 2x4s between events and the table can be used for other things. 


Floobydust said:


> When not used in the audience, the two shorter legs have screw-on 2x2 extensions to make them level and are used as prop tables in the wings.


 That's brilliant! I've always hated special built lop sided tables because they are useless the rest of the time. 


AudJ said:


> Requirements: movable comfortable chair and large work table (approximately desk size) at least half-way back in the audience.


I agree with Footer, Forget the comfy chair. Every event like this I've seen the judges either sit in a normal seat with a special table over the seats in front of them, or they sit in a chair behind a table in an aisle (possible fire code issues). Unless you are throwing huge sums of money at it by building a full stage for the judge, like America's Got Talent, it's not worth it.


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## sk8rsdad (Feb 6, 2014)

At most dance competitions the judges usually sit on something like this. It's a lot cheaper than custom seating but a significant improvement over most theatre seating. I have a great deal of sympathy for the judges who have to be there from early morning to late night 3 or 4 days in a row.


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