Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Cinderella help

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tbaxter
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Joined: 9/11/06
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Topic: Cinderella help
Posted: 9/11/06 at 2:08pm

Hey all,

I'm new to the board, but I'm hoping to get to know this group well.

I am designing (and directing) Rogers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." I'm wondering if anyone here has worked on the show before and has any idea for the godmoter FX? She lights the fire with her magic broom and also magically vanishes and then reappears in a different spot on stage.

We have a very small theatre (More or less a 30'X30' proscenium stage with a 4' apron--NO wing space--proscenium sides are about 7' each stage left and right with a door on each one).

Thanks!

Tim

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EddyZ
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Joined: 8/21/06
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Posts: 60

Posted: 9/11/06 at 5:46pm

Small? Compared to the 15x27 postage stamp I have to work with, your theatre is wide open spaces! ;)

We opened our season with Cinderella this year. Some scheduling conflicts prevent set build until last minute, so it was rather minimal, as were effects. For the fireplace, we simply used the light board to turn off/on a set of those electric log thingys. [Disclaimer: I was not involved in any way, shape or form with Cinderella.] If you can do pyros, a small flashpot might do well to accentuate the "poof" of the fire lighting.

I didn't realize that the FG disappeared and reappeared anywhere, so we must have ignored that little bit of stage direction. How quick of a vanishing act is it? Again, pyros may help here.

EddyZ
http://webpages.atlanticbb.net/~ezahurak/
www.nailsouptheatre.com/

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Aimee
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Joined: 8/31/04
Location: United States
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Posts: 156

Posted: 9/11/06 at 8:26pm

We did Cinderella last fall. Someone had donated a "fake" fireplace (the kind that plugs in) we set it back a bit, used a flash pot for the poof and she "stepped" into the room thru the smoke. (finally got it to look really cool on the last night) As Tech Director I sat behind the fireplace thru the entire scene to plug in the fireplace when she magically lit the fireplace as well as running the flash pot.

I also used magician flowers that she pulled from her sleeve (away from the audience)

For the light in the wand we used a small flahlight (might have just been the "guts" taped to the broom handle. the FG just turned it on when the effect was needed. We used a small bromm (3ft max) so it looked alright.

This was a high school production so we were limited as what could and could not be done. worked well enough though some abit hokey.

Good Luck, hope this helps!

Aimee

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Gaafa
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Joined: 3/21/04
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1181

Posted: 9/11/06 at 9:12pm

Normally in Panto we use a flash paper wand, FGM just points to fire place or what ever & triggers the flash paper, which shoots out a flame & the fire is lit electrically from the Bio Box.
I use 3 100 watt globes with coloured gel mounted on a junction box. A Fluorescent starter is placed in series in the Active & Neutral cables of the incoming power line. This will work through your dimmers quiet well & give the appearance of a fire building as it is faded up. While this is simple enough to make, please get a licensed or qualified electrician to build it.
As suggested flash pots are simple to use & the fgm just slides behind a flat a leg & then reappears elsewhere.
One small point with the FGM as OP side [left] is considered to be the devils side. So when she is making a good spell, the wand is in her right hand & when taking off, countering or making a bad spell. She changes the wand to her left hand. Also if it?s possible she always enters & exits on the Prompt Side [right] which is an old Panto tradition.

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

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tbaxter
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Joined: 9/11/06
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 9/12/06 at 1:15pm

Thanks all for the suggestions, and for not chastising me on the fact that a previous poster had asked some of the same questions just a few months earlier. I did finally take the time to look at all of the previous messages.

Still, some wonderful new ideas. The Panto information about the devil's side is very interesting. I'll try to make sure she does it right!

Thanks all!

Tim

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Gaafa
Celebrity

Joined: 3/21/04
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1181

Posted: 9/13/06 at 3:54am

The stage left Prompt Side was supposedly named the ?Devils Side? not as being descriptive of the SM or Prompter who were normally positioned there. But from the fact that Italian painter bloke, depicted Judas sitting on JC?s left hand side during the ?Last Supper?. Also the old thing of throwing salt over your left hand shoulder into the devils face. Just a bit of useless trivia!
Also Tim we never chastise anyone here, in fact it is great you are a member prepared to ask questions, as I believe this is what it is about!
Further it helps validate old theatre farts like me, giving out information. Without feeling invalid & of some use again?

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

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Set Design and Construction
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Set Design and Construction

Author	Message
tbaxter Walk-On Joined: 9/11/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: Cinderella help Posted: 9/11/06 at 2:08pm
	Hey all, I'm new to the board, but I'm hoping to get to know this group well. I am designing (and directing) Rogers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." I'm wondering if anyone here has worked on the show before and has any idea for the godmoter FX? She lights the fire with her magic broom and also magically vanishes and then reappears in a different spot on stage. We have a very small theatre (More or less a 30'X30' proscenium stage with a 4' apron--NO wing space--proscenium sides are about 7' each stage left and right with a door on each one). Thanks! Tim

	IP Logged

EddyZ Star Joined: 8/21/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 60	Posted: 9/11/06 at 5:46pm
	Small? Compared to the 15x27 postage stamp I have to work with, your theatre is wide open spaces! ;) We opened our season with Cinderella this year. Some scheduling conflicts prevent set build until last minute, so it was rather minimal, as were effects. For the fireplace, we simply used the light board to turn off/on a set of those electric log thingys. [Disclaimer: I was not involved in any way, shape or form with Cinderella.] If you can do pyros, a small flashpot might do well to accentuate the "poof" of the fire lighting. I didn't realize that the FG disappeared and reappeared anywhere, so we must have ignored that little bit of stage direction. How quick of a vanishing act is it? Again, pyros may help here.
	EddyZ http://webpages.atlanticbb.net/~ezahurak/ www.nailsouptheatre.com/
	IP Logged

Aimee Celebrity Joined: 8/31/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 156	Posted: 9/11/06 at 8:26pm
	We did Cinderella last fall. Someone had donated a "fake" fireplace (the kind that plugs in) we set it back a bit, used a flash pot for the poof and she "stepped" into the room thru the smoke. (finally got it to look really cool on the last night) As Tech Director I sat behind the fireplace thru the entire scene to plug in the fireplace when she magically lit the fireplace as well as running the flash pot. I also used magician flowers that she pulled from her sleeve (away from the audience) For the light in the wand we used a small flahlight (might have just been the "guts" taped to the broom handle. the FG just turned it on when the effect was needed. We used a small bromm (3ft max) so it looked alright. This was a high school production so we were limited as what could and could not be done. worked well enough though some abit hokey. Good Luck, hope this helps!
	Aimee
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 9/11/06 at 9:12pm
	Normally in Panto we use a flash paper wand, FGM just points to fire place or what ever & triggers the flash paper, which shoots out a flame & the fire is lit electrically from the Bio Box. I use 3 100 watt globes with coloured gel mounted on a junction box. A Fluorescent starter is placed in series in the Active & Neutral cables of the incoming power line. This will work through your dimmers quiet well & give the appearance of a fire building as it is faded up. While this is simple enough to make, please get a licensed or qualified electrician to build it. As suggested flash pots are simple to use & the fgm just slides behind a flat a leg & then reappears elsewhere. One small point with the FGM as OP side [left] is considered to be the devils side. So when she is making a good spell, the wand is in her right hand & when taking off, countering or making a bad spell. She changes the wand to her left hand. Also if it?s possible she always enters & exits on the Prompt Side [right] which is an old Panto tradition.
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
	IP Logged

tbaxter Walk-On Joined: 9/11/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 9/12/06 at 1:15pm
	Thanks all for the suggestions, and for not chastising me on the fact that a previous poster had asked some of the same questions just a few months earlier. I did finally take the time to look at all of the previous messages. Still, some wonderful new ideas. The Panto information about the devil's side is very interesting. I'll try to make sure she does it right! Thanks all! Tim
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 9/13/06 at 3:54am
	The stage left Prompt Side was supposedly named the ?Devils Side? not as being descriptive of the SM or Prompter who were normally positioned there. But from the fact that Italian painter bloke, depicted Judas sitting on JC?s left hand side during the ?Last Supper?. Also the old thing of throwing salt over your left hand shoulder into the devils face. Just a bit of useless trivia! Also Tim we never chastise anyone here, in fact it is great you are a member prepared to ask questions, as I believe this is what it is about! Further it helps validate old theatre farts like me, giving out information. Without feeling invalid & of some use again?
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
	IP Logged

Topic: Cinderella help( Topic Closed)