Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup: suffocate with a plastic bag

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suffocate with a plastic bag

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Category: Producing Theater
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Topic: suffocate with a plastic bag

Posted By: chambrey
Subject: suffocate with a plastic bag
Date Posted: 9/30/09 at 6:31pm

Hi all,

My theatre is about to launch a production of Anthony Horowitz's Mindgame, and the one thing that is really turning out to be a problem is how to suffocate someone with a plastic bag onstage without actually harming the actor. My thought is to cut a window in the bag and replace it with silk or similar fabric that will blend in the plastic but allow the actor to breath through it. This seems like a pretty flimsy plan though, so if anyone has any better ideas, I would be very grateful to hear them!

Thanks,
Emily

Replies:

Posted By: kries13
Date Posted: 10/01/09 at 3:37pm

I have two thoughts:

1. create a bag out of a very fine mesh material that reads as plastic from the audience.

2. poke holes in your existing plastic bag.

But the other answer might be the easiest - making sure your actor doing the suffocating (not the victim) is actually leaving enough space at the bottom of the bag opening to allow for air to get in. This also does not need to be a prolonged suffocation - it can be done for effect and stopped.

Let us know what you finally land on as the solution - I'm interested to learn.

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kries
I art therefore I am.
www.artisrelative.com

Posted By: bree1988
Date Posted: 12/01/09 at 3:53am

You can use a plastic bag with a hole in it so that the actor can breath or edit the film as to hide the flaws in it.
That's a good idea klies. This Hollywood science is fascinating to me. I want to know what you come up with it too. Please let us know.

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the harder you try, the harder it is to accept the failure

- promotional plastic bags
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Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 12/01/09 at 10:06am

It might help to instead of holes, have slits. That way the audience can't see them and they seem to gather with the bag (the strangler gathers the bag around the neck). But I'd test several times to make sure you do have enough slits.

Also give the actor being strangled a panic signal--ex: I'll hit my leg with my arm if I'm in trouble.

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