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Hi guys, i need some advice, im Stage managing a theatre production for a local semi pro theatre group and were doing show called the "Dracula Spectacula" Spoof on the old dracula tails...

Anyway.

I need to find a way of making dracula apear and dissapear on a fairly well lit stage away fom the wings.

What im looking to do is to have two of the dancers raise a large red silk type cloth int the centre of the stage for a second and lower it to have dracula staning behind it.....Much the same way as the substitution trunk effect.

I have a few idears myself which i need to explore further but am looking for any suggestions which people may have...or any good referance books which may come in usefull!!

To Mods...if you feel this applies to this post please move it to the secret techniques section!!

Cheers

Andy

Jim Steinmeyer's 'Hiding The Elephant' (Reviewed on TM 2003/2004) gives a lot of info about such effects.

I have sent a pm, but i thought i would hint at a couple of the ideas i have had.

One, maybe both, have the production made with the character standing on a stool, or a box, as well as being centre stage.
In one, an umberella is held aloft, a cloth is atatched to lt, creating a tent. the umberella is closed, revealing the count.This was originaly thought up as a vanish by the way. The other a low stool is placed on the stage, a cloth is raised( it was there all the time which may cause a problem), and dropped, showing the count. The cloth is on a hoop, and the stool, whilst not prepaired, has to be made to fit the actor.

another thought. Get out your copy of Mark Wilson, and take a look at the mummy ilusion. This is just a cloth, on two poles, which is wrapped around one person, who transforms into another. You could do something like this, but only perform half of the effect.
Is it possible to create a small localised black art area? say, a window, or doorway? can you apply a small amount of masking behind a table? this could also hide the actor. Does any of the cast have a large crinoline skirt on, that could hide the count?
is there a large number of people on stage, who could be positioned to mask the wntrance from the wings? I have used this to great advantage several times.
.. Look at me, i said a couple of ideas, and there must be a good half a dozen at least to wet your apetite!!

D.

Cheers, got hiding the elephant, and got the mark wilson book.

When i have more time i'll PM you with some ofthe ideas ive got,

Im wanting this to have a large wow factor!!!

I dunno how the angles will work wit the rake of the stage but i was thining of using an adapted idear from hiding the elephant with a low platform in which you can see there is nothing underneith

then basicaly do the effect like Osmosys (i think thats what its called, where the cloth is raised then dropped in less than 2 seconds to reveal the person on the platform. If you've read Hiding the elephant you'll know how this will work.