Open Forum

We are mounting Fahrenheit 451, and there are a couple of scenes that will just come off as cheesy if we don't have a match or lighter.   Has anyone in Arizona ever had to have a fire marshall come and approve something like this, and what was your experience like?  I know that standard theatrical procedure is to have two crew off stage with fire extinguishers when using open flame, but I have never actually worked on a production anywhere to experience the process of getting this approved.  We would obviously stage this away from anything flammable.  

I have looked high and low for something online that would realistically mimic the lighting of a match or use of lighter but haven't found anything. If someone has other ideas, I would love to hear them.   Thanks!

(We also are struggling with the mechanical dog.  I wanted to build something on a remote control device but it has to be super light and we would need a base sturdy enough.  Using it in shadow mostly, so difficult to have a crew member near it without being seen.)  

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Debbie MacKinney
Theatre Teacher, CTE Technical Theater, Troupe 7334 Advisor
Tanque Verde Unified School District
Tucson AZ
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Not living in Arizona, I can't help with the match question. I live in CA, and it's pretty tough out here.  :-)

However, on the dog... I designed F451 at a college a few years ago, and we decided that the dog didn't have to be seen onstage. It stayed behind the firehouse door, which had been "modified" as a high-security door, with lights, alarms, and so forth. The dog's "presence" was lights, sounds, and shadows under the door. It was one of those things where it was scarier to not show it and let the audience fill in the blanks.

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George F. Ledo
Set designer
www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.com
www.georgefledo.net

Original Message:
Sent: 02-03-2016 09:29
From: Debbie MacKinney
Subject: Fire SFX for F451 - Arizona especially

We are mounting Fahrenheit 451, and there are a couple of scenes that will just come off as cheesy if we don't have a match or lighter.   Has anyone in Arizona ever had to have a fire marshall come and approve something like this, and what was your experience like?  I know that standard theatrical procedure is to have two crew off stage with fire extinguishers when using open flame, but I have never actually worked on a production anywhere to experience the process of getting this approved.  We would obviously stage this away from anything flammable.  

I have looked high and low for something online that would realistically mimic the lighting of a match or use of lighter but haven't found anything. If someone has other ideas, I would love to hear them.   Thanks!

(We also are struggling with the mechanical dog.  I wanted to build something on a remote control device but it has to be super light and we would need a base sturdy enough.  Using it in shadow mostly, so difficult to have a crew member near it without being seen.)  

------------------------------
Debbie MacKinney
Theatre Teacher, CTE Technical Theater, Troupe 7334 Advisor
Tanque Verde Unified School District
Tucson AZ
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