Author Topic: Squeaky shoes on stage? New trick!  (Read 9067 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Tempest

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 374
  • Gender: Female
  • Learn to love chaos, then tame it.
    • View Profile
  • Current Gig: The Center For Puppetry Arts
  • Experience: Professional
Squeaky shoes on stage? New trick!
« on: Feb 06, 2007, 12:06 pm »
When my cast can't use the stage for rehearsal, our theatre's rehearsal space is an abysmal little basement room with old fashioned school-tile type floors.  You know, the ones that EVERYONE'S shoes squeak on?  And one of our actresses was wearing new boots.  It got very distracting in rehearsal.
Solution?
Grab some spray-starch from the costume department, spray on bottom of shoes, allow to dry, viola!  Much fewer squeaks! Not slippery!  And leaves no residue on the floor!  If it works on those tiles, it's got to work on a stage surface. 
Thought I'd share!
Jessica: "Of course I have a metric size 4 dinglehopper in my kit!  Who do you think I am?"

TechGal

  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 53
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: IATSE
Re: Squeaky shoes on stage? New trick!
« Reply #1 on: Feb 08, 2007, 06:43 pm »
Good thinking.  Thanks for the tip! I'll have to remember that one.   :)

Mac Calder

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 977
  • Plan for the future, live for the now
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: Live Performance Australia / Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance
  • Current Gig: Technical Director
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: Squeaky shoes on stage? New trick!
« Reply #2 on: Feb 09, 2007, 06:29 am »
Any other tips on squeeky shoes would be a blessing - This sounds great, except I break out in a rash when I come into contact with spray starch (must be one of the active ingredients, I don't know), and I my shoes squeek on most wooden/linoleum floors.

My usual method is to put some socks over my shoes when there is an audience out there and I need to be silent, except it is VERY slippery.

Psychedelictheatre

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 5
    • View Profile
Re: Squeaky shoes on stage? New trick!
« Reply #3 on: Feb 09, 2007, 01:16 pm »
On several shows I have Stage Managed for Actors have employed the spray starch, and also the socks over shoes.

One actress used to use what could be described as tights, but with the rubber bits that you see on 'slipper socks'. They knocked out the queak, kept the grip, didn't need spraying, and didn't look ridiculously big because of the socks.

centaura

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 405
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Squeaky shoes on stage? New trick!
« Reply #4 on: Feb 09, 2007, 02:03 pm »
Hmm.. I have a related non-slip.  I was a clogger in my younger days, and if we had to dance on a slippery stage we'd put masking tape on our taps.  It worked for clogging taps because they make sound by clapping together.  Not sure if it would work on a typical shoe,

-Centaura

Jessie_K

  • Superstar!
  • *****
  • Posts: 528
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • International Stage Manager of Mystery
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA, SMA (on leave)
  • Current Gig: Queen of the Night
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Squeaky shoes on stage? New trick!
« Reply #5 on: Feb 09, 2007, 02:13 pm »
Liquid latex.  Works on shoes, works on socks.  Really works on anything you want to make grippier.

Available in theatrical make-up supply shops and most sex shops.  (I know this from running out while on tour in Germany)

Matt.L

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 32
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Squeaky shoes on stage? New trick!
« Reply #6 on: Mar 04, 2007, 12:21 pm »
Quote
we'd put masking tape on our taps

I used to do the same using duct tape on my irish dancing heavys

 

riotous