Open Forum

Hello Beloved Theatre Community,

We are producing The Wizard of Oz for our spring musical this year, and I'm struggling to figure out how to manage to get fire on stage? I might be able to work around the "explosions" the script calls for every time the Wicked Witch enters and exits (although I'd be open to cool ideas for that, too), but the Wicked Witch needs to throw a fire ball at the Scarecrow and (even more difficult) the Witch's broom needs to be on fire in order to justify Dorothy throwing water on her to kill her in the end.

Any ideas? I'm still finding out if I can have any sort of smoke on the stage. So, perhaps ideas that don't just revolve around smoke would be quite helpful.

Thank you, and I hope your 2018 is inspiring, productive, and full of storytelling!

Cheers,

------------------------------
David Roby
Drama/LA Teacher
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle WA
------------------------------

You could use a moving light effect for the fireball as an option, also there are battery powered torches out there you can get for a smaller fire, these may work for you.
You mentioned fog, yes that for the witch appearing is common, make sure if you do use to get quick discipating fluid.

------------------------------
Jerry Onik
V.P. Theatrical Supplies and Equipment
Omaha NE
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-07-2018 21:34
From: David Roby
Subject: Wizard of Oz -- Fire on stage?

Hello Beloved Theatre Community,

We are producing The Wizard of Oz for our spring musical this year, and I'm struggling to figure out how to manage to get fire on stage? I might be able to work around the "explosions" the script calls for every time the Wicked Witch enters and exits (although I'd be open to cool ideas for that, too), but the Wicked Witch needs to throw a fire ball at the Scarecrow and (even more difficult) the Witch's broom needs to be on fire in order to justify Dorothy throwing water on her to kill her in the end.

Any ideas? I'm still finding out if I can have any sort of smoke on the stage. So, perhaps ideas that don't just revolve around smoke would be quite helpful.

Thank you, and I hope your 2018 is inspiring, productive, and full of storytelling!

Cheers,

------------------------------
David Roby
Drama/LA Teacher
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle WA
------------------------------

Original Message------

Hello Beloved Theatre Community,

We are producing The Wizard of Oz for our spring musical this year, and I'm struggling to figure out how to manage to get fire on stage? I might be able to work around the "explosions" the script calls for every time the Wicked Witch enters and exits (although I'd be open to cool ideas for that, too), but the Wicked Witch needs to throw a fire ball at the Scarecrow and (even more difficult) the Witch's broom needs to be on fire in order to justify Dorothy throwing water on her to kill her in the end.

Any ideas? I'm still finding out if I can have any sort of smoke on the stage. So, perhaps ideas that don't just revolve around smoke would be quite helpful.

Thank you, and I hope your 2018 is inspiring, productive, and full of storytelling!

Cheers,

------------------------------
David Roby
Drama/LA Teacher
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle WA
------------------------------

Here is what we used:

Pyrowizard™ Double Shooting Flash Gun

Home		remove preview
Pyrowizard™ Double Shooting Flash Gun Pyrowizard™ Double Shooting Flash Gun View this on Home >

------------------------------
Robert Kohler
Kansas City MO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-07-2018 21:34
From: David Roby
Subject: Wizard of Oz -- Fire on stage?

Hello Beloved Theatre Community,

We are producing The Wizard of Oz for our spring musical this year, and I'm struggling to figure out how to manage to get fire on stage? I might be able to work around the "explosions" the script calls for every time the Wicked Witch enters and exits (although I'd be open to cool ideas for that, too), but the Wicked Witch needs to throw a fire ball at the Scarecrow and (even more difficult) the Witch's broom needs to be on fire in order to justify Dorothy throwing water on her to kill her in the end.

Any ideas? I'm still finding out if I can have any sort of smoke on the stage. So, perhaps ideas that don't just revolve around smoke would be quite helpful.

Thank you, and I hope your 2018 is inspiring, productive, and full of storytelling!

Cheers,

------------------------------
David Roby
Drama/LA Teacher
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle WA
------------------------------

It's also possible to look at the show a little differently and try to place the production in an environment of make-believe and fairy tale-- I think one of the things the movie does is to make people think that the special effects are necessary, when it is possible to simplify the story and use simple devices like misdirection and ensemble work to communicate a lot of the ideas-- such as fire, or heightened tension, etc.  

I would use high caution in the use of flash devices and seek out the help of a trained and licensed professional if you choose to go that route.

Fog is always a fun device as is the use of strobe and other lighting effects.  Even then, make sure to advise your audience that those devices are in use and as mentioned earlier use quickly dissipating fluid.

You can also build a larger silk fire effect if youlike-- it's just a fan and the silks with a light underneath.

------------------------------
Michael Johnson
Trinity NC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-08-2018 09:16
From: Robert Kohler
Subject: Wizard of Oz -- Fire on stage?

Here is what we used:

Pyrowizard™ Double Shooting Flash Gun

Home		remove preview
Pyrowizard™ Double Shooting Flash Gun Pyrowizard™ Double Shooting Flash Gun View this on Home >

------------------------------
Robert Kohler
Kansas City MO

Original Message:
Sent: 01-07-2018 21:34
From: David Roby
Subject: Wizard of Oz -- Fire on stage?

Hello Beloved Theatre Community,

We are producing The Wizard of Oz for our spring musical this year, and I'm struggling to figure out how to manage to get fire on stage? I might be able to work around the "explosions" the script calls for every time the Wicked Witch enters and exits (although I'd be open to cool ideas for that, too), but the Wicked Witch needs to throw a fire ball at the Scarecrow and (even more difficult) the Witch's broom needs to be on fire in order to justify Dorothy throwing water on her to kill her in the end.

Any ideas? I'm still finding out if I can have any sort of smoke on the stage. So, perhaps ideas that don't just revolve around smoke would be quite helpful.

Thank you, and I hope your 2018 is inspiring, productive, and full of storytelling!

Cheers,

------------------------------
David Roby
Drama/LA Teacher
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle WA
------------------------------

We used a flash cotton effect - a palmed device.  Both the witch and scarecrow had one and the "throw" was a pair of detonations - first the witch with throwing motion and then the scarecrow right in front of her torso.  That way, if one or the other failed to set off the cotton (the igniter was similar to the rotating flint on a lighter), the effect still came across.  I think it ended up being a really good experience for the actors, in that it forced them to be really conscious of their movement  - always a good thing to practice.  

We had plans initially to team up with an upper level chemistry course to make our own flash cotton. It's a relatively simple lab project using supplies that, while hazardous, are part of a normal lab's stock.  But the timing didn't work out, so we went with a commercial product. Safety is vitally important with any sort of fire effect, but this is less dangerous than something like a live candle (which we haven't done onstage, but do all the time here in religious services).

------------------------------
Rob Kimbro
Theatre Teacher
Houston TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-07-2018 21:34
From: David Roby
Subject: Wizard of Oz -- Fire on stage?

Hello Beloved Theatre Community,

We are producing The Wizard of Oz for our spring musical this year, and I'm struggling to figure out how to manage to get fire on stage? I might be able to work around the "explosions" the script calls for every time the Wicked Witch enters and exits (although I'd be open to cool ideas for that, too), but the Wicked Witch needs to throw a fire ball at the Scarecrow and (even more difficult) the Witch's broom needs to be on fire in order to justify Dorothy throwing water on her to kill her in the end.

Any ideas? I'm still finding out if I can have any sort of smoke on the stage. So, perhaps ideas that don't just revolve around smoke would be quite helpful.

Thank you, and I hope your 2018 is inspiring, productive, and full of storytelling!

Cheers,

------------------------------
David Roby
Drama/LA Teacher
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle WA
------------------------------

Hi!

When we did a production of The  Phantom of the Opera.  I used a machine that produced lights and a fog blast.  I got it from Sensory Light and Sound a theatrical rental company here on Long Island.  The liquid dissipates very quickly and does not set off the fire alarm.  It works with a remote control.  We used it when the Phantom appeared at the mascaraed party. It was very effective.  I'm not sure where you are but here is their number 631-851-1052 they could probably point you in the right direction.  

Good luck with your production!

------------------------------
Carol] Siegel
Certified Theatre Educator
Island Trees High School
Levittown, NY
516-520-2135
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-07-2018 21:34
From: David Roby
Subject: Wizard of Oz -- Fire on stage?

Hello Beloved Theatre Community,

We are producing The Wizard of Oz for our spring musical this year, and I'm struggling to figure out how to manage to get fire on stage? I might be able to work around the "explosions" the script calls for every time the Wicked Witch enters and exits (although I'd be open to cool ideas for that, too), but the Wicked Witch needs to throw a fire ball at the Scarecrow and (even more difficult) the Witch's broom needs to be on fire in order to justify Dorothy throwing water on her to kill her in the end.

Any ideas? I'm still finding out if I can have any sort of smoke on the stage. So, perhaps ideas that don't just revolve around smoke would be quite helpful.

Thank you, and I hope your 2018 is inspiring, productive, and full of storytelling!

Cheers,

------------------------------
David Roby
Drama/LA Teacher
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle WA
------------------------------

We did Wizard last year and used the Gyser Pro machine for the exploding effects for the Witch and Oz. Super awesome and highly recommend it. They aren't too pricey to buy considering tech these days and I think you can rent them too. We don't have a theatre on campus so we perform out of the local community theatre space. They happened to own a couple of these machines and lent them to us for the show. Made a world of difference in the special effects and wowed the audience. They shoot fog into the air and have hundreds of lighting color combinations. Many rock bands use them in their concerts. Check it out here.

As for the flame effect we couldn't afford to hire a pyro guy and we were concerned about the safety of high school actors so instead we used tiny LED lights woven into the broom and Scarecrow's jacket. The lights were battery operated and had tiny on/off buttons the actors pushed when the lights needed to be turned on and then off again. The battery packs were small enough to be hidden at the end of the broom and inside the jacket. Even the professional tech crew at the theatre was quite impressed the trick, they'd never seen anything like it. You can find these lights almost anywhere, we got ours at a craft store. I believe they are called firefly lights because they are super tiny and come strung on a very thin wire.




------------------------------
Jillian Lietzau
Englewood CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-07-2018 21:34
From: David Roby
Subject: Wizard of Oz -- Fire on stage?

Hello Beloved Theatre Community,

We are producing The Wizard of Oz for our spring musical this year, and I'm struggling to figure out how to manage to get fire on stage? I might be able to work around the "explosions" the script calls for every time the Wicked Witch enters and exits (although I'd be open to cool ideas for that, too), but the Wicked Witch needs to throw a fire ball at the Scarecrow and (even more difficult) the Witch's broom needs to be on fire in order to justify Dorothy throwing water on her to kill her in the end.

Any ideas? I'm still finding out if I can have any sort of smoke on the stage. So, perhaps ideas that don't just revolve around smoke would be quite helpful.

Thank you, and I hope your 2018 is inspiring, productive, and full of storytelling!

Cheers,

------------------------------
David Roby
Drama/LA Teacher
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle WA
------------------------------

​Chauvet DJ makes Geyser  that shoot fog out that is lit with LED lights, and it looks like fire, goes about 10-15 in the air.
Inexpensive and good effect.  You have to have someone operate separately, but it works.

 https://www.amazon.com/Chauvet-Geyser-T6-Machine-Pyrotechnic/dp/B071R6Z6JY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1519420296&sr=8-5&keywords=geyser+chauvet

------------------------------
Brandon Kalbaugh
Theatre Arts Director
Broad Run High School
Ashburn VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-12-2018 19:46
From: Jillian Lietzau
Subject: Wizard of Oz -- Fire on stage?

We did Wizard last year and used the Gyser Pro machine for the exploding effects for the Witch and Oz. Super awesome and highly recommend it. They aren't too pricey to buy considering tech these days and I think you can rent them too. We don't have a theatre on campus so we perform out of the local community theatre space. They happened to own a couple of these machines and lent them to us for the show. Made a world of difference in the special effects and wowed the audience. They shoot fog into the air and have hundreds of lighting color combinations. Many rock bands use them in their concerts. Check it out here.

As for the flame effect we couldn't afford to hire a pyro guy and we were concerned about the safety of high school actors so instead we used tiny LED lights woven into the broom and Scarecrow's jacket. The lights were battery operated and had tiny on/off buttons the actors pushed when the lights needed to be turned on and then off again. The battery packs were small enough to be hidden at the end of the broom and inside the jacket. Even the professional tech crew at the theatre was quite impressed the trick, they'd never seen anything like it. You can find these lights almost anywhere, we got ours at a craft store. I believe they are called firefly lights because they are super tiny and come strung on a very thin wire.




------------------------------
Jillian Lietzau
Englewood CO

Original Message:
Sent: 01-07-2018 21:34
From: David Roby
Subject: Wizard of Oz -- Fire on stage?

Hello Beloved Theatre Community,

We are producing The Wizard of Oz for our spring musical this year, and I'm struggling to figure out how to manage to get fire on stage? I might be able to work around the "explosions" the script calls for every time the Wicked Witch enters and exits (although I'd be open to cool ideas for that, too), but the Wicked Witch needs to throw a fire ball at the Scarecrow and (even more difficult) the Witch's broom needs to be on fire in order to justify Dorothy throwing water on her to kill her in the end.

Any ideas? I'm still finding out if I can have any sort of smoke on the stage. So, perhaps ideas that don't just revolve around smoke would be quite helpful.

Thank you, and I hope your 2018 is inspiring, productive, and full of storytelling!

Cheers,

------------------------------
David Roby
Drama/LA Teacher
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle WA
------------------------------