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  • 1.  Honk! - Dropping Geese Feathers from Catwalk

    Posted 04-11-2017 17:21

    Good Afternoon,

     

    I am currently directing Honk! and I am looking for suggestions to safely and effectively get feathers to drop on the audience after "Goose Chase" from the catwalk.    I wasn't sure if I could have crew members drop a handful or two from the non-electric side of the catwalk, or if I should try to rig something up?  What have others done?

     

    Thanks for your input,

    Ginny

     

    Ginny A. K. Schreiber

    Middle School Drama

    Forest Ridge School

    4800 139th Ave SE

    Bellevue, WA 98006

    425-641-0700

     



  • 2.  RE: Honk! - Dropping Geese Feathers from Catwalk

    Posted 04-11-2017 21:30
    I've done drops from the catwalks for Little Shop of Horrors both ways.

    For one production, we had a series of boxes with trapdoors mounted on the catwalk.  A wire with pins ran from box to box, ending in the cove on the side of the catwalk.  When it was time, the technician pulled the end of the wire, which slipped each of the pins out of the lock, releasing the trapdoors and allowing the vines inside to fall.

    In another production, we just had technicians lined up along the catwalk at intervals, and when it was time they started dropping flower petals on the audience.

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    Laura Steenson
    Theatre Director
    Reynolds High School
    Troutdale OR
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Honk! - Dropping Geese Feathers from Catwalk

    Posted 04-12-2017 08:31
    You can make a "snow cradle".

    Instead of holes for the snow to fall through, cut slits in muslin, and or rig one of the battens on the snow cradle to drop completely.  

    Here's a link on how to
    How to Create a Snow Cradle | Theatrical & Stage Supply Store | PNTA
    Pnta remove preview
    How to Create a Snow Cradle | Theatrical & Stage Supply Store | PNTA
    A traditional approach to making snow onstage is with the use of theatrical "snow" dropped from a snow cradle.
    View this on Pnta >


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    Michael Johnson
    Trinity NC
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Honk! - Dropping Geese Feathers from Catwalk

    Posted 04-12-2017 08:18
    I think with feathers using your crew might be the best bet. I would be concerned with a box rig that the feathers might stick together and drop in clumps and that might not be the best effect.  Maybe some sort of platform in the catwalks with a pile of feathers, and a fan that can be turned on when ready. That way it even spreads out over the audience not just the people directly under it.

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    Dan Mellitz
    Technical Director
    St Andrews School
    Barrington, RI
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Honk! - Dropping Geese Feathers from Catwalk

    Posted 04-12-2017 11:02
     Feathers fall beautifully. When we did Honk, we rigged a cardboard box. We cut out the bottom and made a simple pin and latch with a pull cord. One yank of the string and the box popped open, spilling feathers everywhere. We put ours over our stage (tied to a batten) so we could recover the feathers for each performance. 

    - Lindsay Shields 
    Flushing High School 
    #7892



    Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device



    Original Message


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