Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: How to melt the wicked witch

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Ken W
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 3/22/06
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 8/16/07 at 3:42pm

We just did that version of the show. It was actually written that way. It is supposed to be a less technically challenging script. The witch fell into her cauldron and shrank.

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Ringbo
Walk-On
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Joined: 7/27/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4

Posted: 12/21/07 at 6:51am

In our production we made a huge couldron. we used a wood base with chicken wire and lots of paper mache. the witch tipped into it backwords (pillows were lining the bottom. And then a young child dressed the same climbed out. We left an opening in the back bottom for the child to wait untill the witch fell in, that way no one got hurt. At the top of the couldron we had a ledge for them to use when falling in and out. The little witch climbed out and started running around the set. The other characters caught her through her back in and she said she was melting dipped down into the couldron and up went a small doll dressed as the witch. If was so funny and most memorable.

Live each day like its opening nite!

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Nyria
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Joined: 1/20/05
Location: Canada
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Posts: 157

Posted: 2/10/08 at 1:38pm

I know this is from awhile ago but I thought I'd add anyhoo =)

We did this really simply - we had a big black wood box on stage with a hole in the middle of it. I can't remember how we hid the hole but ... when it came time for her to melt she simply stepped into the hole - we had her wearing a big cape in this scene and the cape spread arpund the top of the hole so as she melted her cape stayed up and she melted below it.

NYRIA

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vickifrank
Celebrity

Joined: 9/21/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 332

Posted: 2/10/08 at 6:23pm

A fairly easy way to make the witch shrink is to play her in shadow behind a shadow screen. When she moves closer to the light source she becomes bigger, when she moves toward the screen she becomes smaller.

This also doesn't have to be the live person, it can be a puppet and similar variations.

A fun variation of this is to put a witches hat on a telescoping stick and have the rest of the witch as a silk cutout attached to the hat. When she's behind the shadow screen you see 'the witch' in profile as a silhouette--perhaps the winged monkeys or witch's soldiers even dance or march around her. But when she gets splashed with water the stick is contracted (telescoped) and her hat slowly falls down into a lump of clothes. When fully melted someone picks up the hat and carries it out front of the screen. Since the witch's hat is pointed upward, even a small fishing line can be used instead of the telescoping stick. The fishing line is attached to the hat which holds the silk/fabric outline of the witch....drop the line and the witch goes away. Using the fishing line method you can also puppet her one hand to add realism.

Alternatively, projections of her shrinking will do also.

_____________

http://www.studio-productions-inc.com
1-800-359-2964

The theater scrim people

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mvp1114
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 1/26/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4

Posted: 4/20/08 at 9:24pm

When we did "The Wiz" we used a bucket of mylar strips & confetti for the water (what a mess every night!). We had the witch up on a raised platform with a rectangular hole cut in the top. We bought a cart from Northern Equipment that had a 30" hydraulic lift. The lift was level with the platform top, and we just released the lift with the witch standing on it and she "melted" into the platform, with her robe and hat staying on top 9she only had to crouch a little).

Mike

schlechy techy

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theatremonkey
Lead
Lead

Joined: 6/04/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 35

Posted: 6/04/08 at 1:58pm

The last two times we have done oz the witch has been on a raised platform as the castle and is lowered through a trap door attached to a remote control motor and the so called water was just blue and silver confetti

theatre monkey

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Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup

Topic: How to melt the wicked witch( Topic Closed)
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Author	Message
Ken W Walk-On Joined: 3/22/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 8/16/07 at 3:42pm
	We just did that version of the show. It was actually written that way. It is supposed to be a less technically challenging script. The witch fell into her cauldron and shrank.
	IP Logged

Ringbo Walk-On Joined: 7/27/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Posted: 12/21/07 at 6:51am
	In our production we made a huge couldron. we used a wood base with chicken wire and lots of paper mache. the witch tipped into it backwords (pillows were lining the bottom. And then a young child dressed the same climbed out. We left an opening in the back bottom for the child to wait untill the witch fell in, that way no one got hurt. At the top of the couldron we had a ledge for them to use when falling in and out. The little witch climbed out and started running around the set. The other characters caught her through her back in and she said she was melting dipped down into the couldron and up went a small doll dressed as the witch. If was so funny and most memorable.
	Live each day like its opening nite!
	IP Logged

Nyria Celebrity Joined: 1/20/05 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 157	Posted: 2/10/08 at 1:38pm
	I know this is from awhile ago but I thought I'd add anyhoo =) We did this really simply - we had a big black wood box on stage with a hole in the middle of it. I can't remember how we hid the hole but ... when it came time for her to melt she simply stepped into the hole - we had her wearing a big cape in this scene and the cape spread arpund the top of the hole so as she melted her cape stayed up and she melted below it.
	NYRIA
	IP Logged

vickifrank Celebrity Joined: 9/21/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 332	Posted: 2/10/08 at 6:23pm
	A fairly easy way to make the witch shrink is to play her in shadow behind a shadow screen. When she moves closer to the light source she becomes bigger, when she moves toward the screen she becomes smaller. This also doesn't have to be the live person, it can be a puppet and similar variations. A fun variation of this is to put a witches hat on a telescoping stick and have the rest of the witch as a silk cutout attached to the hat. When she's behind the shadow screen you see 'the witch' in profile as a silhouette--perhaps the winged monkeys or witch's soldiers even dance or march around her. But when she gets splashed with water the stick is contracted (telescoped) and her hat slowly falls down into a lump of clothes. When fully melted someone picks up the hat and carries it out front of the screen. Since the witch's hat is pointed upward, even a small fishing line can be used instead of the telescoping stick. The fishing line is attached to the hat which holds the silk/fabric outline of the witch....drop the line and the witch goes away. Using the fishing line method you can also puppet her one hand to add realism. Alternatively, projections of her shrinking will do also.
	_____________ http://www.studio-productions-inc.com 1-800-359-2964 The theater scrim people
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mvp1114 Walk-On Joined: 1/26/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Posted: 4/20/08 at 9:24pm
	When we did "The Wiz" we used a bucket of mylar strips & confetti for the water (what a mess every night!). We had the witch up on a raised platform with a rectangular hole cut in the top. We bought a cart from Northern Equipment that had a 30" hydraulic lift. The lift was level with the platform top, and we just released the lift with the witch standing on it and she "melted" into the platform, with her robe and hat staying on top 9she only had to crouch a little). Mike
	schlechy techy
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theatremonkey Lead Joined: 6/04/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 35	Posted: 6/04/08 at 1:58pm
	The last two times we have done oz the witch has been on a raised platform as the castle and is lowered through a trap door attached to a remote control motor and the so called water was just blue and silver confetti
	theatre monkey
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