Hey guys! Although i have used fog machines and dry ice in the past (both with resonably good results) We are looking for something different. The venue we are performing Cyrano in has a very sensative fire alarm system which, we have been warned, is so sensative that the smoke from a smoke machine may set it off....We don't want these costumes covered in water. So does anyone have ANY alternatives? We have used dry ice before but it is so damn loud when its bubbling in a container. Were stumped...the battle scene needs the smoke from the revolvers, and from the burning materials...any suggestions would be great!

Boy does this give me a fond? laugh.  While I really have no answers to the problems I do understand the apprehension.  We were doing Sweeney Todd at University of Kentucky's summer theater and this was on OPENING NIGHT.  Front proscenium curtain closed, house FULL of patrons, smoke was filling the stage so we would have that eerie, moody setting for the opening of Sweeney.  Orchestra begins the music after the prelude - curtain opens, smoke pours out into the orchestra - the chorus begins "Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, he served a dark and a vengeful God....etc.," at which point we hear what we thought was the FRENCH HORNS - kind of "stuck" on a note.  Before long singers were dropping off and stopping - sort of a wave across a rather large stage.  We realized that it was NOT a French Horn, but the fire alarm going off which just happened to be right on pitch with the French Horns in the opening passages.  WELL needless to say, we had to stop, vacate the building (THANKFULLY they had a fire curtain but it didn't drop - otherwise we would have been out of business because the closest company that could reset it was in Cincinnati and we were in Lexington, KY)....we vacate the building and have to wait for three full alarm fire trucks show up, clear the building as safe and try to regroup.  Here we all are outdoors on campus but it's a public street - in full, BIZARRE makeup and regalia looking like a bunch of Halloween weirdos - waiting for word if we could carry on.  Fire department clears the building, we go back, AUDIENCE reassumes their seats, orchestra starts, LESS FOG this time, curtain opens, we carry on 45 minutes late - and do the entire show.  NEVER did we lose an audience member, show was a smashing success, and we have this crazy story to tell long after the fact.

Thank you so much guys! I will definitely take a look into what type of system it is. The area which we use...I'm sure you have read this someplace else on the forum...is actually an old mansion...converted into a lodge for a camp. The room we use is the banquet room. They have recently (probably 5 or so years ago-due to the proceeds from our shows) put in a new sprinkler system throughout the whole house. I'll have to check with our rec. commission on what type of system is up there!

The fire inspector came up...we smoked the place out, and it didn't affect the fire alarms, or the smoke detectors, and our sprinkler system is only heat activated!

The fog lay low enough that I'm not even sure that it reached the detectors up in the ceiling. We also turned the ceiling fans on to direct the air downward which helped the fog from reaching the detectors as well. Our chief seemed satisfied with that! Thanks for the concern! I'll post some Cyrano pics soon!