Tape will be used throughout your stage management endeavors (and honestly in your LIFE endeavors), so let’s go over some tape basics from your resident user of tape. I myself have solved many a theatre emergencies and “fixed” many a household items with my handy roll of gaff tape and you can too!
GAFFER’S TAPE
AKA Gaff Tape
DESCRIPTION: a strong pressure-sensitive tape made of cotton cloth
USE FOR: Taping cables to the ground, taping two items together, sturdy (but temporary) fixes
GOOD TO KNOW:
Gaffer’s tape can typically be removed without leaving behind adhesive residue.
You can typically tear it with your hands (no scissors needed)
BRANDS: Pro Gaffer (Tape Works), Gaffer Power (Gaffer Power, Amazon), Pro Tape (Amazon)
SPIKE TAPE
DESCRIPTION: A thin roll of gaffer’s tape (1/2”), typically in an assortment of colors
“In the days of Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre, the actual floor of the stage was dirt. In order to lay out specific locations on that stage, the director would actually put spikes into the ground to show the actors where to stand.” - Tape Works (website)
USE FOR: Marking spots on the stage for scenery placement and actors marks
GOOD TO KNOW:
Like gaffer’s tape, spike tape can typically be removed without leaving behind adhesive residue.
You can typically tear it with your hands (no scissors needed)
A fun stage management hack is to take a small piece of wood or a dowel and wrap several different colors of spike around it, fashioning a sort of spike tape wand (so you don’t have to carry around a bunch of bulky rolls!)
BRANDS: Gaffer Power (Gaffer Power, Amazon), Rose Brand (Rose Brand)
DUCT TAPE
DESCRIPTION: a strong pressure-sensitive tape made of cotton cloth and coated with polyethylene (a plastic polymer)
USE FOR: Taping items together, sturdy but potentially damaging fixes, and (I have to say it) repairing ducts
GOOD TO KNOW:
Duct tape WILL typically leave residue behind
You can typically tear it with your hands (no scissors needed)
BRANDS: Duck Tape (Amazon), 3M (Amazon) Gorilla Tape - which is a thicker version of standard duct tape (Amazon), many more
GLOW TAPE
DESCRIPTION: A vinyl glow-in-the-dark tape
USE FOR: Marking spots that crew or actors need to see in the dark (e.g. an actor’s mark, scenery location, or a hazard backstage)
GOOD TO KNOW:
Glow tape needs to be “recharged” regularly, which can be down by shining a flashlight on it
You can usually find pre-cut glow tape dots / shapes, but if you’re not investing in that - it’s a good idea to pre-cut your pieces of glow tape in advance (you CANNOT tear it)
There is also the combination glow gaffer’s tape
BRAND: Rose Brand (Rose Brand), Pro Tapes (Amazon)
ELECTRICAL TAPE
MASKING TAPE
AKA Painter’s Tape
DESCRIPTION: A pressure-sensitive paper tape
USE FOR: Hanging signs on walls, marking off areas, a less-effective spike tape alternative for spaces that prohibit spike tape
GOOD TO KNOW: Masking tape is usually considered the safest tape to use for protecting surfaces - it is not likely to cause damage or leave residue on surfaces
BRANDS: Scotch (Amazon - white tape, Amazon - blue tape), many others
PACKING TAPE
DESCRIPTION: A pressure-sensitive, and oftentimes translucent, adhesive coated onto a plastic or vinyl backing
USE FOR: Taping two lightweight items together, (again, I have to…) packing/sealing boxes
GOOD TO KNOW: Putting a strip of packing tape over a paper label or sign can create a lamination effect and help the sign last longer.
BRANDS: Scotch (Amazon), many others
TRANSPARENT TAPE
DESCRIPTION: A pressure-sensitive transparent tape adhesive coated onto a backing, typical in homes & offices
USE FOR: Taping two lightweight items together, repairing rips in paper/scripts, hanging signs on walls (depending on the wall’s surface)
BRANDS: Scotch Tape (Amazon), SO MANY OTHERS
WHERE DO I GET THEM, THOUGH?
Where do you buy all of these tapes, you ask?
Well, hopefully, YOU don’t have to buy most of them (they should be provided by the company.) But, if you’re like me and ENJOY having your own variety of tape OR you’re purchasing tape to be reimbursed OR you’re a just-in-case prepper, here are some options:
Amazon - Amazon affiliate links are interspersed throughout this article! Amazon has everything, but it’s difficult to always know the quality of the items you are receiving due to the incredible variety of sellers.
Rose Brand
(Fun Fact: I got to visit their headquarters in New Jersey when I was in grad school - it’s AWESOME)
Want me to talk about more types of tape? Love tape? Let me know. We can do Marley tape, plumber’s tape, medical tapes, even washi tape. I like tape.
