Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Wizard of OZ

Author

Message

mdelange
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 5/18/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Topic: Wizard of OZ
Posted: 6/14/05 at 12:35pm

I am doing this musical for our community show next month and I would like some advice on some of the special effects. My biggest question is how to get the witch on and off. I am working with a small theater in a small community (about 6000) or so. Any suggestions on this or any other aspect of the show would be great!!!!

Thanks

IP Logged

Shatcher
Celebrity

Joined: 2/21/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 251

Posted: 6/14/05 at 2:55pm

a trap door could work well for the melting. a little fog will help cover her entrance or exit down the trap. A bright flash of light followed by a very short black out works well. it will pull the focus for just a second so she can make her entrance

IP Logged

Nyria
Celebrity

Joined: 1/20/05
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 157

Posted: 6/15/05 at 5:30pm

We had our Witch on a big platform (box) for the melting secene - there was a hole in the top of the box that she fell into when she was melting. She had a really big cape on so it looked 'melty'.

Also we just had our witch walk on (crazy - I know) but she came in trhough the back and walked through the audience. A little more different than just entering.

Be creative - this is a show you can go crazy with =)

NYRIA

IP Logged

jtonner
Star
Star

Joined: 2/02/04
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 56

Posted: 6/16/05 at 11:54am

Instead of a regular trap door, we used a sliding door with stairs under the platform. The witch straddles the door until she can step onto the first step, then she slowy goes down as she melts. She will have to crawl out, but it did look great from the audience.

John

IP Logged

mark_j
Lead
Lead

Joined: 11/28/04
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 31

Posted: 6/16/05 at 12:12pm

We made a portable bridge with a sliding door for the witch's chamber. We arched the bridge so the witch could slide down inside the bridge deck. It worked well enough the bridge is now rented out to several productions other productions in the midwest. Her other entrances were covered with smoke or lighting.

BTW, do you need the 50 sound effects?

IP Logged

mdelange
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 5/18/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 6/17/05 at 11:32am

Thanks for your help all, I was thinking of having her walk on, with a shot out of a fire extinguisher. Any thought on how this would work. I havent tested it yet, but my biggest concern is weather or not the aftermath would "hang" in our auditorium.

IP Logged

th8rguykc
Player
Player

Joined: 5/27/04
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 28

Posted: 6/17/05 at 12:34pm

Be careful of Fire extinguishers! Depending upon what type of extinguisher it is (there are several) it could cause smells, and possibly even set off a smoke detection system. Look into a chemical fog machine or even a dry ice bucket and a fan.

IP Logged

casey05
Lead
Lead

Joined: 6/17/05
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 42

Posted: 6/18/05 at 6:56am

If you don't have flying facilities for the tornado sequence, you could try creating the tornado by having the initial Kansas scene painted onto several flats on wheels.

When the tornado "hits", special lighting could be used, and Kansas could be "sucked" off stage (flats being manipulated by stagehands). This could be especially effective if the flats were whizzed around the stage first, by the stagehands, and maybe you could even use some dancers (maybe ribbon dancing could be used?).

If you really wanted, to save time with set changes, you could have munchkinland set behind the Kansas flats. Or, Munchkinland could be painted on the opposite side of the flats and, instead of being sucked offstage, the flats could whizz around and then turn to show munchkinland. Just an idea I had

IP Logged

Closed Topics ( Forum Locked)
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Archives :Closed Topics

Author	Message
mdelange Walk-On Joined: 5/18/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: Wizard of OZ Posted: 6/14/05 at 12:35pm
	I am doing this musical for our community show next month and I would like some advice on some of the special effects. My biggest question is how to get the witch on and off. I am working with a small theater in a small community (about 6000) or so. Any suggestions on this or any other aspect of the show would be great!!!! Thanks

	IP Logged

Shatcher Celebrity Joined: 2/21/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 251	Posted: 6/14/05 at 2:55pm
	a trap door could work well for the melting. a little fog will help cover her entrance or exit down the trap. A bright flash of light followed by a very short black out works well. it will pull the focus for just a second so she can make her entrance
	IP Logged

Nyria Celebrity Joined: 1/20/05 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 157	Posted: 6/15/05 at 5:30pm
	We had our Witch on a big platform (box) for the melting secene - there was a hole in the top of the box that she fell into when she was melting. She had a really big cape on so it looked 'melty'. Also we just had our witch walk on (crazy - I know) but she came in trhough the back and walked through the audience. A little more different than just entering. Be creative - this is a show you can go crazy with =)
	NYRIA
	IP Logged

jtonner Star Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 56	Posted: 6/16/05 at 11:54am
	Instead of a regular trap door, we used a sliding door with stairs under the platform. The witch straddles the door until she can step onto the first step, then she slowy goes down as she melts. She will have to crawl out, but it did look great from the audience. John
	John
	IP Logged

mark_j Lead Joined: 11/28/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 31	Posted: 6/16/05 at 12:12pm
	We made a portable bridge with a sliding door for the witch's chamber. We arched the bridge so the witch could slide down inside the bridge deck. It worked well enough the bridge is now rented out to several productions other productions in the midwest. Her other entrances were covered with smoke or lighting. BTW, do you need the 50 sound effects? MJ
	IP Logged

mdelange Walk-On Joined: 5/18/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 6/17/05 at 11:32am
	Thanks for your help all, I was thinking of having her walk on, with a shot out of a fire extinguisher. Any thought on how this would work. I havent tested it yet, but my biggest concern is weather or not the aftermath would "hang" in our auditorium.
	IP Logged

th8rguykc Player Joined: 5/27/04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 28	Posted: 6/17/05 at 12:34pm
	Be careful of Fire extinguishers! Depending upon what type of extinguisher it is (there are several) it could cause smells, and possibly even set off a smoke detection system. Look into a chemical fog machine or even a dry ice bucket and a fan.
	IP Logged

casey05 Lead Joined: 6/17/05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 42	Posted: 6/18/05 at 6:56am
	If you don't have flying facilities for the tornado sequence, you could try creating the tornado by having the initial Kansas scene painted onto several flats on wheels. When the tornado "hits", special lighting could be used, and Kansas could be "sucked" off stage (flats being manipulated by stagehands). This could be especially effective if the flats were whizzed around the stage first, by the stagehands, and maybe you could even use some dancers (maybe ribbon dancing could be used?). If you really wanted, to save time with set changes, you could have munchkinland set behind the Kansas flats. Or, Munchkinland could be painted on the opposite side of the flats and, instead of being sucked offstage, the flats could whizz around and then turn to show munchkinland. Just an idea I had .
	IP Logged

Topic: Wizard of OZ( Topic Closed)