I've never used commercial stage blood in a show. I teach my students how to make it themselves, and they have a lot of fun with it. I never have trouble recruiting a prop crew for a show that uses blood! (Most recent experience: The Women of Lockerbie, this past school year.)
It's just a mix of red food coloring and chocolate syrup. The food coloring alone is too bright and too clear to make believable "blood," so adding a little bit of chocolate syrup darkens it and makes it opaque. A little experimenting quickly gets the proportions right.
The base differs, depending on two things. If any actors are going to have to get any of the blood into their mouths, we use clear corn syrup. That way, all of the ingredients are safe food products. On the other hand, if the blood is going to get on clothes, we use clear dishwashing liquid. That way, the moment the "blood" hits the fabric, you're essentially pre-treating the clothing for laundering afterward. The "blood" doesn't set as a hard-to-wash stain. Just wash the piece normally after the show, and it's ready for the next performance.
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Jeff Grove
Theatre Teacher, Aesthetics Department Chair
Stanton College Prep
FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-04-2023 11:44
From: David Harrison
Subject: Stage blood that doesn't fade to pink?
Hi,
Can anyone suggest a type of stage blood that doesn't turn pink and look very un-bloodlike after a few minutes? I've been using Ben Nye stage blood zesty mint flavor and it looks great when it's first applied, but within a few minutes it turns pink and looks pretty stupid. Can anyone suggest something that looks good to start with and keeps looking good for a while?
Also I'm trying to find a few theater related forums to post to. Can anyone suggest some other good ones, if that's not inappropriate to ask about here?
Thanks for any help!
David
Maine, USA
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David Harrison
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