There are many kinds of theatre curtains in the market today and they have various sub-categories, according to their usage and features. There are Teasers (horizontal and vertical mounting pieces), Travelers (two overlapping curtain halves), Grand Drape (house or act curtain), Stage backdrop (flat curtain used for scenery), Braille curtain (front curtain that is vertically lifted) and Scrims (transparent stage curtain) and Border curtains for theatrical use.

Materials used for theatre curtains

Most theatre curtains and stage backdrops are made from flame retardant muslin, stitched without fullness with a strip of heavy fabric (webbing) across the top, studded with grommets. A small strip of tie line is fed through these eyelets so that the drop can be tied to some support, usually a pipe, which helps to pull it flat. For the curtains requiring scenery and images, hand-painting technique is used by stage artists or they can be digitally printed, which can later be coordinated with scrim fabric to make cut drops. The grand drape is hung upstage from an arch and used to close the acting area from the audience view and the common fabric choices for these are Cotton Velour. If a faster lifting motion is required for this front curtain, then it can be adapted for use in a loft-less stage as a Brail curtain; draw line is equal and fullness is lesser than that of a contour curtain. For added beauty, theatre curtains can be stylized such that it has horizontal fullness granted it by gathering the fabric on the vertical seams and this action brings a line of soft swags- a classy, yet formal touch. This effect in theatre curtains is also referred to by the term Austrian curtain. Fabrics include Velour, Satin in sparkling colors and textures and shimmering Charmeuse Silk.

Positioning of theatre curtains

The proper positioning of theatre curtain is necessary for the right fabric alignment and full decorative effect of the curtains to come out and track recommendations for the application vary, depending on the number of lift lines used. Some theatres prefer to go modern and use motorized systems for installation of drapes and this is in tune with electrical elements to be positioned effectively by licensed contractors, especially hired for this purpose.