PROP: Almost, Maine Shoe

[Nic Sedivec; SM]

I have just started rehearsal and am wondering if anyone has a good idea of a solution for a tricky prop.

During one scene a shoe is supposed to "drop from the sky." We will be performing in a black box theatre and the action will be taking place on the opposite side of the theatre from the booth (mezzanine). We have a limited budget, so a box with an electronic release most likely won't be an option. The director would really like to drop the shoe at this point in the planning.

Barring fishing line and a pulley system - I'm out of ideas. Does anyone have an idea of how to drop this prop?

[LizzG]

I had a friend who did this show, and the 'string and pulley' system is exactly what they did...worked very well for them.

[MatthewShiner]

A drop pocket?

Something where there is a piece of fabric that holds the show.  One side of the fabric is fixed, the other can be released with rope, letting the shoe fall freely.

[maximillionx]

We did this same trick in Kiss Me, Kate with the string and pulley method.  Works great! Sometimes, the simplest idea is the best.

[tempest_gypsy]

I'm a third voice for the string and pulley system. I did Almost, Maine about five years ago. We used a loose-pin hinge to hold our drop box closed, and then one stiff tug on a line, from the booth (probably 30' away) and the shoe fell, without a hitch, every time.

[pyromnt]

We used the pulley idea as well, but we also has a small black rag covering the pipe and shoe so no one could see it. Funny story actually, it was closing night and we were going through that scene and the director freaked out and ran backstage out from the audience. He believed that he never actually set the shoe up that night. He grabbed a flashlight and looked all around for a shoe that looked similar and the found one. He gave it to me and told me to throw it over. I, being able to remain calm, heard the cue and set off the shoe drop pulley as normal.  The shoe dropped fine and I didn't have to throw anything over. It was funny because the director just gasped and apologized
 

[BalletPSM]

I was fortunate to do this show in a 3/4 thrust, where we had catwalks over the stage - so a crew person was literally preset in the catwalk and dropped the shoe.  It worked beautifully. 

I'm a big fan of the loose-pin hinge solution in your case, though.

[SMrose]

We did a variation on the pully/line system: our tie line was fastened to a wooden clothes pin (a hole drilled out on the "pull" side where the tie line was tied).  Ours worked every time.

[gafftaped]

Literally just did this show. Our shoe hung on a nail loosely in a box. The nail was attached to a rope. Our stage right manager pulled the rope and the shoe fell straight down, perfectly every time.

And just saying, Almost, Maine was one of my favorite shows ever to work on.

[Nic Sedivec; SM]

To those that responded: THANK YOU FOR YOUR IDEAS!!

My set designer ended up rigging a cellanoid battery and then ran the cables to the booth with a dead man switch for the drop. We used some tie line through the shoe to ensure that it didn't damage the costume piece and it worked perfectly. Sound wise, there was a small click right before the drop, but anyone outside the world of theatre had no idea what the noise was.

Thanks for the help, all the ideas were actually discussed at production meetings and my team thanks you as well. We closed last weekend and had a great run.

Cheers,
N