Sonotube is a name brand of round tubes usually used for pouring concrete footings or making concrete columns in the construction world.  They are made of a very dense “rain-resistant” paper, and come in a wide variety of sizes.  In the theatrical world we often use them as a base for any tall round piece of scenery, such as columns, telephone poles, large industrial piping, tree trunks and more.  Because Sonotube is not intended for theatrical use there are some drawbacks to working with it, but it can also provide a starting point for some really awesome scenery.

Pro

1. For something as heavy duty as this stuff is, it’s rather lightweight.  I can carry a 1’ diameter 12’ tall sonotube all by myself.  At that length it’s a little awkward for a single person, but it’s very possible

2. They come in a variety of sizes from 6” in diameter all the way up to 48” in diameter.  I think the longest they come is 12’-0” so designs that take that into account will be most effective.

3. The fact that they are “rain-resistant” means that you can work rather wet with your scenic treatment and they will not bubble or warp in any way.

4. These tubes are highly durable, and many theaters I have worked in have a bunch of these (generally about the 1’ diameter size) laying around in storage that they repaint and reuse quite regularly.  While the initial expense can be rather high, in a theater that recycles old scenery these can eventually prove quite cost effective.

5.  Cutting through the heavy duty cardboard is rather easy with either a power tool or a hand saw… keeping your lines straight requires a little bit of know-how and planning though because round things roll.  

Cons

1. Because these are not meant for theatrical use, the diameter you order is approximate.  When you order a bunch of 1’ diameter tubes, you’ll find they come shipped inside each other 3 at a time, which means the one on the outside is a bit bigger than 1’ and the one on the inside is a little less, but they all meet the code requirements for construction purposes.  Maybe if you sweet talk your distributer you’ll be able to get all the same, but that does make their life more difficult.  Generally speaking, if you have them side by side probably no one will notice the difference.  If your plan, however, is to hook 2 or more together in a continuous line, that is when you may begin to experience frustration with the size inconsistency.

2. Because these are essentially made of dense cardboard, when building with them substance must be added to make them structural in any way.

3. There is a spiraling indent all the way down these tubes.  I believe its purpose is to help in getting it off the concrete when that process is all done.  Hiding that during the scenic treatment process can be an enormous pain.   Some treatments make it easier to conceal the line than others.  Muslin covering the tube is one of the most effective ways to deal with it, but it does add a decent amount of time and money to the investment… but the surface is a lot more painter friendly in the end.

4.  For use in a single production at a smaller theater the price can be rather steep… and it goes up considerably with wider diameters.   For the narrow diameters (the ones around 6”) you may be able to get free or cheap carpet tube from a local carpet store which would work just as well.  Sometimes PVC can run cheaper too, but then you have all new paintability issues.

    

    

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