Vases placed near a wall or on a book shelf can be 'thrown' by a carefully placed dowel behind them.  The stage hand behind the wall thrusts the dowel out and quickly draws it back (it can have an elastic that pulls it back quickly).  If the tip of the dowel is the same color as the wall or shelf, it's hidden when not in use.  Another technique is to have a fishing line behind the vase but through two eyehooks on a plane in front of the vase (example through the sides of the bookshelf).  When the stage hand pulls on the fishing line, it tightens and pushes the vase off the shelf/mantel/table.

 

Similarly if you want the vase thrown at a place in the wall, loop fishing line around the vase and through a hole in the wall.  Stage hand pulls hard and the vase flies to the wall and hopefully breaks on impact.  This off course works best if blocking of actors is not in area of the vase and wall.

 

A similar question was asked on this forum, and someone else replied that for a vase on a bookshelf, it was easiest to have the back of the book shelf be spandex.  When the time comes to launch the vase, the stage hand punches the spandex hard and fast.  The audience can't follow that fast movement, but sees the vase fly off the shelf.

I saw an incredible production of Blithe about 20 years ago and they used hooks on Dr. Bradman and Charles's arms to lift and leivate the table and entually toss it. Cleverly The steel rod ran the length of each fore arm and had leather sheaths velcroed to the each arm.

 

When the actors sit down for the seance and place there hands on the table, the hooks go under the table and are prevented from slipping by a lip under the edge of the table.  Position the actors on opposite sides, and as they press down with there hands on the table the hooks are secured and take hold of the table. By lifting theirarms the table appears to float. with practice, they were able to create violent table moves and then eventually lose control of the table so it flipped. Madame Arcati was able to run her hands over and under the table as part of her "summoning" to show that the table was not wired. I saw it three times and couldn't figure out how they did it. So, I finally asked.

 

They were very helpful and let me try it. In fact, they even gave me one to use as a model. I quickly learned that the hooks have to shaped to the table.

 

If you recall, concealing them is not a problem. Them men were coats and they enter minutes before the seance.

 

For all subsequent senances Charles single handedly creates the movement of the table. they used the lift and thump to create the knocks that the "spirit" uses to communicate. Also very cool.

 

As for the other affects, they had a pretty big budget. They used compressed air tubing and blasts to toss vases, eject books from the bookcase. Once you knew how it was done, of course it was compressed air, butthe blasts were so short that they had a ghostly quality.

 

I have also seen little flippers in the back of bookcase that can hammer forward and knock out books.

 

Using pins from behind to accordian collapse shelves looks really good too. Hinge one side and alternate to the other shelf, so left side collapses than rights shelf by shelf. things slide and leads to collapse of the next shelf from the front, but you're alternating pulling pins from the back from top to bottom.

 

A backless record holder makes it pretty easy to projectile some records out of the slots too.

 

Finally don't underestimate falling window treatments. Alone, it seems pretty lame but in combination, they create quite a mess and a great show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was involved in a production of Woman In Black done in the round a few years ago and one thing that was helpful was building up the stage floor ever so slightly so we could run lines under the stage.  You only need a few inches, but if you can do more that would be great. We were able to make rocking chairs rock and things to collapse and fall.

 

My table levitation idea above would work great in the round.

 

Remember that sound can do some of the work for you. The record can play super fast, (sound cue) and if you have a chandelier above the stage it can fall. It seems predictable to you but won't be to the audience. You could also rig the light bulbs to pop one (not really but if the light goes out and there is smoke people will buy it)  if you are clever. We did this for a production of Phantom. A good electrician can figure it out for you if necessary.

 

Also look into Electric magnets. Once the power is cut off, whatever they hold in place will fall. The thing about Blithe is that it doesn't have to be big but lots of small things happening simulaneously so people can't figure out where to look. Also consider things your Charles can trip by stepping on triggers, they would have to be in strange places so they are out of the way for the rest of the show, but a man being tormented by spirits may go almost anywhere to avoid a ghost.

 

Just off the top of my head, good luck. I'd love to hear back what you came up with. Blithe is one of my favs. I've seen and done it dozens of times.

 

 

I'm glad the Chandelier thing worked. It seemed like a good solution in the round.

 

The great thing about that  show is unless you know Blithe. No one is expecting that ending, so it's always fun no matter what you do.

 

JD