Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Fake Stones & Disappearing Banquet

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Joan54
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Topic: Fake Stones & Disappearing Banquet
Posted: 3/08/07 at 8:26am

I need quite a few large ( 36" - 42" dia.) rocks...I was planning to carve them out of foam and paint them.....but anyone have any original ideas about this?

Also...the "disappearing banquet" in The Tempest....now there's a prop that has me laying awake at night....I've thought about making the table out of people...you know..on their knees..the table being their back. Another - making the food and dishes out of paper that then folds away...like a pop-up book. Finally...bribing the director to cut that scene.

Any bright ideas would be most appreciated.....

"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"

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mhubba
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Posted: 3/08/07 at 8:25pm

Hi,
We just finished our Middle School production of "Pirates of Penzance". We made some awesome paper mache rocks out of boxes and chicken wire. I would be happy to send you some before and after pics and more info!

Mark

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Topper
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Posted: 3/15/07 at 4:54pm

I love the pop-up book idea, but have no idea how one would construct such a thing.

For some reason, I thought of the old "Green Hornet" TV show where his limosine was concealed beneath the floor of his garage which could flip over at the push of button.

I would suggest building a similar "flip-top" table. This would be a frame on four legs with the table-top actually suspended within the frame on a pivot that rotates 180 degrees.

Staple a tablecloth onto the EDGES of the frame, running it to floor length around the table, to conceal the underside of the table from audience view.

Glue down a piece of identical tablecloth cut to fit WITHIN the frame, not overlapping the edges. Glue or nail down all your fake food, dishes, utensils, etc onto this side of the table-top. When it comes time to vanish, the tops flips over, revealing the empty side (With an identical piece of table cloth glued in its place).

Of course, you won't be able to use any real liquid (what a mess that'll make!) and you'll have to come up with some kind of locking mechanism, or manage to make your fake banquet perfectly balanced to prevent premature rotation.

And it would be simpler to operate it manually, unless you can be like the Green Hornet and flip a button.

Good luck.

"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

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Shatcher
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Joined: 2/21/05
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Posted: 3/16/07 at 11:46am

I like Toppers idea. I was thinking some kind of trap door in the table.

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Joan54
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Posted: 4/30/07 at 11:57am

I love it! Thank you so much for such an artful solution.....I'll let you know how it works out....J

"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"

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neilfortin
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Posted: 5/01/07 at 8:48am

We used a smiliar effect in our production of an original called Deadline a few summers ago, our set space waslimited so many of the pieces turned into other things. a coffee table had to be come a HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committe) panel and vice versa so we did the exact same thing with the flip-flop piece in the middle on a pivot. We glued down magazines, a bowl of oranges, some glasses, and other coffee table items on one side, and american flags and microphones on the other side, we blacked out the set for a second, and the table was flipped and a flag dropped down behind it and voila! instant HUAC meeting...quality!

Community Theater makes us smile

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Set Design and Construction
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Set Design and Construction

Author	Message
Joan54 Celebrity Joined: 10/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 207	Topic: Fake Stones & Disappearing Banquet Posted: 3/08/07 at 8:26am
	I need quite a few large ( 36" - 42" dia.) rocks...I was planning to carve them out of foam and paint them.....but anyone have any original ideas about this? Also...the "disappearing banquet" in The Tempest....now there's a prop that has me laying awake at night....I've thought about making the table out of people...you know..on their knees..the table being their back. Another - making the food and dishes out of paper that then folds away...like a pop-up book. Finally...bribing the director to cut that scene. Any bright ideas would be most appreciated.....
	"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"

	IP Logged

mhubba Walk-On Joined: 3/08/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 3/08/07 at 8:25pm
	Hi, We just finished our Middle School production of "Pirates of Penzance". We made some awesome paper mache rocks out of boxes and chicken wire. I would be happy to send you some before and after pics and more info! Mark
	IP Logged

Topper Celebrity Joined: 1/27/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 543	Posted: 3/15/07 at 4:54pm
	I love the pop-up book idea, but have no idea how one would construct such a thing. For some reason, I thought of the old "Green Hornet" TV show where his limosine was concealed beneath the floor of his garage which could flip over at the push of button. I would suggest building a similar "flip-top" table. This would be a frame on four legs with the table-top actually suspended within the frame on a pivot that rotates 180 degrees. Staple a tablecloth onto the EDGES of the frame, running it to floor length around the table, to conceal the underside of the table from audience view. Glue down a piece of identical tablecloth cut to fit WITHIN the frame, not overlapping the edges. Glue or nail down all your fake food, dishes, utensils, etc onto this side of the table-top. When it comes time to vanish, the tops flips over, revealing the empty side (With an identical piece of table cloth glued in its place). Of course, you won't be able to use any real liquid (what a mess that'll make!) and you'll have to come up with some kind of locking mechanism, or manage to make your fake banquet perfectly balanced to prevent premature rotation. And it would be simpler to operate it manually, unless you can be like the Green Hornet and flip a button. Good luck.
	"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone
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Shatcher Celebrity Joined: 2/21/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 251	Posted: 3/16/07 at 11:46am
	I like Toppers idea. I was thinking some kind of trap door in the table.
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Joan54 Celebrity Joined: 10/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 207	Posted: 4/30/07 at 11:57am
	I love it! Thank you so much for such an artful solution.....I'll let you know how it works out....J
	"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"
	IP Logged

neilfortin Celebrity Joined: 11/20/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 210	Posted: 5/01/07 at 8:48am
	We used a smiliar effect in our production of an original called Deadline a few summers ago, our set space waslimited so many of the pieces turned into other things. a coffee table had to be come a HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committe) panel and vice versa so we did the exact same thing with the flip-flop piece in the middle on a pivot. We glued down magazines, a bowl of oranges, some glasses, and other coffee table items on one side, and american flags and microphones on the other side, we blacked out the set for a second, and the table was flipped and a flag dropped down behind it and voila! instant HUAC meeting...quality!
	Community Theater makes us smile
	IP Logged

Topic: Fake Stones & Disappearing Banquet( Topic Closed)