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  • 1.  Fireworks in You Can't Take it with You

    Posted 07-24-2023 12:45

    Hello, Friends!  For anyone who has done You Can't Take It With You, I am writing to ask how people have accomplished the on stage fireworks?  Thanks so much!



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    Heathe Stecklein
    Theatre Director/Teacher
    Vista PEAK Preparatory High School
    CO
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  • 2.  RE: Fireworks in You Can't Take it with You

    Posted 07-25-2023 06:02

    It's been several years since I directed this show, but if I'm remembering correctly, the big fireworks explosion happens in the basement of the house. We had a door that led to the basement and we used sound effects, a smoke machine, and lighting to create the explosion. When the actors reentered, they had soot on their costumes. We didn't use any actual pyrotechnics in the show.



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    Jennifer Gunther
    Teacher
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Fireworks in You Can't Take it with You

    Posted 07-25-2023 08:42

    Hello-  After I had a great time researching and actually making fireworks in my backyard I  finally bought the string poppers for the fireworks onstage.  For the red flame I actually took a AA lithium battery apart (carefully) and unrolled the lithium.  I cut it into about two inch pieces and put it in a small cast iron skillet.  I added some Heat gasoline treatment (probably 2 to 3 oz is all), I believe the lithium dissolved so we stirred it up, and had the actor wearing gloves light it with a match just dropping the match into the pan.  It only burns for a few seconds and with the lights out gives a nice glow for a powerful father and daughter moment. Obviously with safety in mind you could prepare a container with just enough Heat and the Lithium is precut every night.  We also had a fire extinguisher ready just in case. (Stagehand had it in hand ready for that scene.) We also mixed it just before the actor went out with it for the best effect. 



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    Andrew Fisher
    Theatre/Video
    Cañon City HS Tiger Theatre
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Fireworks in You Can't Take it with You

    Posted 07-25-2023 11:05

    Thanks so much, Andrew.



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    Heathe Stecklein
    Theatre Director/Teacher
    Vista PEAK Preparatory High School
    CO
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Fireworks in You Can't Take it with You

    Posted 07-25-2023 11:12
    Love this show! I've used a simple trick with a strobe light or flashing different lights through the open door leading to the open basement door, along with short bursts of fog machine. For a safer fog, in case some of your smoke detectors might go off, use a can or two of haze spray cans towards the open door. The chaos of the noise from sound effects drowns out the spray sound. Here's a sample of it from Amazon.

    Bruce Taws



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  • 6.  RE: Fireworks in You Can't Take it with You

    Posted 07-25-2023 12:03
      |   view attached

    I once designed lights for this show once…we set a flashing color LED instrument on the floor as an uplight, and used dry ice for smoke.  The smoke came through the door catching all the color flashes which looked like they were coming from below.  It was very effective.  (See attached photo.)

    For a free easy-to-follow tutorial on how to program a fireworks chase sequence, check out https://www.presett.org/chasesequences.html



    ------------------------------
    Beth Rand, EBMS

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    beth@PRESETT.org
    Westminster, CO
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Fireworks in You Can't Take it with You

    Posted 07-25-2023 19:22
    It's been a while but we did ours pretty low tech.

    The one in the pan was a mousetrap so it was really just the sound of it. No one ever saw it.

    The big explosion is was with lighting and confetti cannons -- we shot them through t he the basement door, the fireplace, and any other nook or cranny that seemed logical.

    I hope this helps. 

    --
    Mark A. Zimmerman
    Theatre Director,

    The Akron School for the Arts
    Firestone Community Learning Center
    470 Castle Blvd
    Akron, Ohio 44313

    330-761-3275

    FirestoneTheatre.com


    Board Member, Ohio Educational Theatre Association
    NE Ohio Area Representative
    Workshop Committee
    Displays/Vendors Committee



    What am I Working On?  A new season of plays and musicals

    What am I Reading?  "Shy" by Jesse Green and Mary Rodgers and "The Philosophy of Modern Song" by Bob Dylan



    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Fireworks in You Can't Take it with You

    Posted 07-26-2023 10:05

    Hi Heathe,

    We built our basement door with a good amount of space under and around it so light could be seen pouring out. We put a dedicated speaker/computer backstage near the door to play loud sound effects so they appeared to be coming from the basement, and we set up some cheap flashing LED lights and a strobe (there are some pretty inexpensive DJ units on Amazon), as well as a fog machine (also inexpensive for small ones) back there too. Either a technician backstage or your actors playing Paul or Mr. Depinna can operate them. Sound and lights go crazy, door opens and smoke pours out ... worked like a charm!



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    Shannon Kerstetter
    Mountain View High School
    AZ
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    Original Message


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