We are doinh Harvey for our spring play and we need a door to open and close by itself. Closing isn't a real problem, but how do I get it to open on it's own? It is a right handed door set upstge left.

Any ideas? 

Aimee

I must not be clear on what you mean. I was planning on using that to pull the door closed, from offstage left,  but how can I get it open using that method? Is is stong enough to push open a door? Is there something else I can use to "push" the door open from offstage? I don't think you mean to have someone cross stage.

Sorry, my mind is muddled, it's been a frustrating day 

Without knowing the positioning of the door onstage and the rest of the set, it still seems that a fishing line could be rigged to both the front side handle and the back side handle and operated from somewhere backstage (to open operate from one side and to close operate from the other with the operator out of sight in the wings or backstage.)

Topper hit it on the nose.  We did HARVEY and I stood behind the wall (backstage), next to the door.  Wearing a black glove, as the cue for the door to swing open (outward) neared, I slowly turned the knob, still holding the door closed.  When Harvey "entered," I just flicked my wrist and the door swung open.  I got my gloved hand out of view before the audience could see (when the door opened enough to expose the open doorway).  To close the door we had a heavy duty, black fishing line attached to the underside of the door (mid width) and just pulled it at floor level from back stage to close the door with enough force to latch it.  Since it was black line against a black floor and masked from audience view once the door started to close, the illusion was very effective.  Care must be given when opening the door to swing it only PART way open (not difficult at all), so that closing it is not a problem.  You don't want the door to go banging against the wall as if Harvey charged into the room.  He just walks in, so the door only opens part way before closing.  Have fun!