Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Shattered pumpkin

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75director
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Joined: 8/19/05
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Topic: Shattered pumpkin
Posted: 8/28/06 at 5:50pm

We're working on a produciton of "Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" and would like to have the Headless Horseman throw a jackolantern at the end of the chase sequence that would break into pieces on the floor. But of course we'd like to be able to reuse the prop for the next performance. Any thoughts on this?

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castMe
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Joined: 11/02/05
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Posted: 8/28/06 at 6:33pm

Off the top of my head......styrofoam.....

Use the inch and a half if you can find it. Cut your pieces to be held together with toothpicks. Fill with what? Need some weight. Bulky but soft? No answer.

Sound effect for pumpkin landing. I'm thinking a baseball bat against a sofa cushion, but with wet(?) something on top of cushion to give a good splat.

Well............that's absolutely no good answer at all, but good news. There are bound to be lots of great answers immediately below this one.

Investigate. Imagine. Choose.

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Playwright
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Joined: 4/01/06
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Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:21pm

To weigh it down maybe you coud make some kind of gelatin mixture- non-flaovoured kind- colour it orange and seal it in a heavy duty clear bag of some kind. The kind IV's come in? That just a 'way out there' idea.

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Shatcher
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Joined: 2/21/05
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Posted: 8/29/06 at 12:22pm

How many shows are there? I'm not up on the stage play but pupmkins are cheep (around here anyway) If the scene is at the end of the act why not throw a real pumpkin(Iwould clean it out first)? The sound will not be a problem. What fun to get to make a whole bunch of Jack o lanterns!

Or, I have seen at Michaels these fake pumpkins that are meant to be carved. Cut it apart in chunks and hold the pieces together with tooth picks or double stick tape (the cheep kind) then smash away. For the sound effect maybe just tape yourself smashing the heck out of some pumpkins(Again What Fun!!). Boy I but you will feel pretty good after smashing all those pumpkins! Smashing stuff is great strees relife!!

Good Luck

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Topper
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Joined: 1/27/05
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Posted: 8/31/06 at 12:47am

Using actual pumpkins is a good idea, but I would prepare one first as an experiment to see how well it holds up.

Slice the pumpkin into five or six "broken" pieces, scoop out the innards and either discard them or make pies and breads for the cast.

Let the pieces of the empty shell dry out and spray the heck out of them (inside and out) with a matte-finish shellac or acrylic. You may need several coats to seal the pumpkin thoroughly. Let dry.

"Glue" the pumpkin pieces back together using candle wax method. Light a candle (an orange one, preferably to match the color of the pumpkin) and let the hot wax drip along the edges to be glued. Hold the broken pieces in place while the wax cools. (This works along the same principle of hot-melt glue, except the result is VERY flimsy and guaranteed to break if dropped or mis-handled).

Before setting the last piece of shell in place, soak several handfuls of various lengths of orange yarn or fabric strips in water and wring out the excess, leaving the material damp (this will substitute for the pumpkin's innards, which are notoriously stringy. You might even be able to find buttons to substitute for the seeds and these can be sewn to the fabric strips).

The result should have a nice enough heft to be thrown and will smash open convincingly. How many performances this contraption will survive for is anybody's guess.

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

Author	Message
75director Celebrity Joined: 8/19/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 122	Topic: Shattered pumpkin Posted: 8/28/06 at 5:50pm
	We're working on a produciton of "Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" and would like to have the Headless Horseman throw a jackolantern at the end of the chase sequence that would break into pieces on the floor. But of course we'd like to be able to reuse the prop for the next performance. Any thoughts on this?

	IP Logged

castMe Celebrity Joined: 11/02/05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 206	Posted: 8/28/06 at 6:33pm
	Off the top of my head......styrofoam..... Use the inch and a half if you can find it. Cut your pieces to be held together with toothpicks. Fill with what? Need some weight. Bulky but soft? No answer. Sound effect for pumpkin landing. I'm thinking a baseball bat against a sofa cushion, but with wet(?) something on top of cushion to give a good splat. Well............that's absolutely no good answer at all, but good news. There are bound to be lots of great answers immediately below this one.
	Investigate. Imagine. Choose.
	IP Logged

Playwright Celebrity Joined: 4/01/06 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 126	Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:21pm
	To weigh it down maybe you coud make some kind of gelatin mixture- non-flaovoured kind- colour it orange and seal it in a heavy duty clear bag of some kind. The kind IV's come in? That just a 'way out there' idea.
	IP Logged

Shatcher Celebrity Joined: 2/21/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 251	Posted: 8/29/06 at 12:22pm
	How many shows are there? I'm not up on the stage play but pupmkins are cheep (around here anyway) If the scene is at the end of the act why not throw a real pumpkin(Iwould clean it out first)? The sound will not be a problem. What fun to get to make a whole bunch of Jack o lanterns! Or, I have seen at Michaels these fake pumpkins that are meant to be carved. Cut it apart in chunks and hold the pieces together with tooth picks or double stick tape (the cheep kind) then smash away. For the sound effect maybe just tape yourself smashing the heck out of some pumpkins(Again What Fun!!). Boy I but you will feel pretty good after smashing all those pumpkins! Smashing stuff is great strees relife!! Good Luck
	IP Logged

Topper Celebrity Joined: 1/27/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 543	Posted: 8/31/06 at 12:47am
	Using actual pumpkins is a good idea, but I would prepare one first as an experiment to see how well it holds up. Slice the pumpkin into five or six "broken" pieces, scoop out the innards and either discard them or make pies and breads for the cast. Let the pieces of the empty shell dry out and spray the heck out of them (inside and out) with a matte-finish shellac or acrylic. You may need several coats to seal the pumpkin thoroughly. Let dry. "Glue" the pumpkin pieces back together using candle wax method. Light a candle (an orange one, preferably to match the color of the pumpkin) and let the hot wax drip along the edges to be glued. Hold the broken pieces in place while the wax cools. (This works along the same principle of hot-melt glue, except the result is VERY flimsy and guaranteed to break if dropped or mis-handled). Before setting the last piece of shell in place, soak several handfuls of various lengths of orange yarn or fabric strips in water and wring out the excess, leaving the material damp (this will substitute for the pumpkin's innards, which are notoriously stringy. You might even be able to find buttons to substitute for the seeds and these can be sewn to the fabric strips). The result should have a nice enough heft to be thrown and will smash open convincingly. How many performances this contraption will survive for is anybody's guess. Good luck!
	"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone
	IP Logged

Topic: Shattered pumpkin( Topic Closed)