Messages

1216

Articles from the Old Site / Fake Blood recipe

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 07:54 pm »

I just got a really good recipe for fake blood that doesn't stain clothes or hands, believe it or not!

• 1 jar runny honey
• 2 tbsp instant coffee, made into a smooth paste with a little hot water.
• 4 caps red food colouring
• 2 caps cochineal food colouring
• 1/2 cap blue food colouring
• 1/2 cup hot water (more or less depending on how gloopy you want the blood)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Fairy non-bio washing detergent (the crucial bit)

It's BEAUTIFUL, and very satisfying to make...
Submitted by Anne Brodie

1217

Articles from the Old Site / Re: Tips: Whiskey Recipe

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 07:54 pm »

A recent production called for a bottle of whiskey, and by fluke I found that an excellent whiskey substitute is mixing soy sauce with water. It was so effective that our director, after a particularly disastrous rehearsal, was looking at it rather keenly, until one of the crew mentioned it wasn't real! Every couple of days it needs a fresh mix in (it has a tendency to go cloudy) but it definitely works. Hope this helped someone!
Submitted by Becks

1218

Articles from the Old Site / Quick and dirty backstage monitors

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 07:53 pm »

I worked as Prod Mgr on a show this summer that was very low budget and outdoors.  The actors had difficulty hearing what was happening on stage in order to make their entrances on time because of the natural noises outdoors and the distance from the "wings" to the stage.  However, getting a monitor system for the show would have been both time consuming and costly.  Instead, the suggestion was made to use a baby monitor.  Brilliant!  Easily hidden on the set, inexpensive, and easily struck each night in case of inclement weather.

Submitted by Christine

1219

Articles from the Old Site / Tips: Flatten fizzy beverages

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 07:52 pm »

When making liquor for the stage, the quickest way to flatten pop is to add a pinch of salt. This tastes terrible, so use as a last resort or for the truly annoying actor!
Submitted by Kat

1220

Articles from the Old Site / Perishables Ideas

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 07:52 pm »

It's snowing at a rate of two inches an hour here in Chicago, so I thought I'd take some time and churn out a massive tip of the day to send you all into the Yuletide.

• Cigarettes and batteries both last longer if they are kept in a cold place.   Cigarettes can be put in the freezer, and batteries can be kept in the fridge.
  
• Keep a list of food allergies and dietary restrictions of your cast and understudies.   Also find out their cigarette preferences--favorite brands, herbals only, fakes only.  This will help if you have to find perishable props for them later on.
  
• To make sure you always have enough of an item, make small "restock" slips that say, "Buy more ."  Place one where the extras of the prop are stored, two or three away from the last one (Bottom of the stack, back one on the shelf, etc.).  As part of your preshow check, stop by each of the storage locations and check if the restock slip is showing.  If it is, take it and put it on your clipboard so that when you leave for the night you have your shopping list with you.
  
• To keep glasses from sliding on a tray, use mor-tite.  (This is also known as removable weatherstripping, and can be found in any hardware store.)  It is available in several colors.  Warm the mor-tite in your hand until it gets tacky and then use it to attach the glasses.
  
• If actors do not drink from glasses, instead of filling the glasses with liquid, make gelatin of them using the recipes below and adding Knox gelatine.  This makes a slightly more realistic beverage than glasses painted on the inside with translucent dye, and is much easier to clean out.  Plus, the stage crew can have fun eating the gelatine afterwards. 
  
• Red Wine #1: 2 oz grape juice, 6 oz water.  Add 4 drops red food coloring, 7 drops blue food coloring.  Shake before pouring.
  
• Red Wine #2: This makes much larger batches.  You will need *two* gallon containers.  In one container, mix one packet of a red Kool-Aid (unsweetened) with two packets of Black Cherry Kool-aid.  Fill the container halfway with water and stir.  Now, pour half of this mixture into your second container.  Top both off with water and stir.  This one is good if a cast member is allergic to grapes, or if you go through a lot of wine.
  
• White Wine#1: For one bottle of white wine, fill with water and add *one* drop of yellow food coloring.
  
• White Wine #2: 2 oz white grape juice, 6 oz water.  No food coloring needed.
  
• Champagne: 1/2 oz Mountain Dew, 7 1/2 oz. water.  Or, use Ginger ale, which can be cut up to 50% and still be effective.
  
• Whiskey/Bourbon/Brandy: Iced tea, cut with water to your desired shade.(12/11/00)

1221

Articles from the Old Site / Tips: Getting rid of scuffs on stage floors

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:54 pm »

It seems small, but while working on a production in an arena with a painted floor, I learned that sneakers are great erasers for scuff marks. SO much easier than getting down on hands and knees to rub them off!

Submitted by Nicole

1222

Articles from the Old Site / Tips: Spike Tape on Demand

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:53 pm »

Ever get tired of having to have 10 different rolls of spike tape available in the theatre? One way to solve this is to create a spike stick -- take a fairly big dowel rod, and drill a hole close to one end, big enough for a piece of tie-line to go through. Then spend a little bit of time and wind various colors of spike tape around the dowel....a couple inches thick will go a long way. The tie-line handle comes in handy for either storing on a nail backstage, or hanging from your belt.  And it's not so clunky to drag around during tech week when you have to quickly add or fix spike marks of many colors. We often create these during the first days of prep or rehearsals, when you don't have much to do, rather than waiting until tech approaches and you suddenly have no time....

Submitted by smejs (Erin)

1223

Articles from the Old Site / Tips: Preshow Checklists

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:53 pm »

1) Instead of having several pages of the same list to use every night, or check boxes on a page, place your checklists in a clear plastic sleeve "sheet protector" and use a dry erase marker.
Each night, write the date on the top, and that way, you can use the same list over and over. If you wipe it off at the end of each night, it will wipe away easily. If it does get 'stained', either rub more dry-erasemarker ink on top and wipe immediately OR use rubbing alcohol to clean.

2) Please make sure you diagram your props presets - 'idiot proof' it. If an actor depends on a prop being in the same place everytime, it's your job to make sure that even if you are not there (the old hit by a bus on the way to the theater theory), that ANYONE can come in and do your preset and no one would know the difference.

Submitted by Trudy


Addendum by L. Beacham:
Putting checklists in sheet protectors is great, but I've found that dry erase marker gets messy, and rubs off easily onto hands, clothing etc. Sharpie works much better, and doesn't rub off. To get it clean at the end of the night, a cotton ball or tissue with rubbing alcohol takes it right off! This works the same if you have prop tables/ carts that have plexiglass shelves. You can label your table, and then wipe it off when the show is done.

1224

Articles from the Old Site / First Aid Protocols

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:51 pm »

Don't mess about get proper training your local EMS should be able to help you.

I was involved in a show where there was a back stage medic.  Great--no hassle only the knowledge that we had a trained person who was there for us, his advice.

Get a good First Aid book and keep it in your kit read the parts on minor wounds and burns sprains and strains.  Don't try to be a MASH medic. Keep It Simple and get proper training--remember there is a legal side of giving treatment.

Submitted by J. Yeardly

1225

Articles from the Old Site / Coffee Improvements

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:51 pm »

Try adding a small dash of nutmeg to your next pot of coffee, it enhances the natural flavor of the grounds and it gives it a satisfying taste of quality coffee house (even if the coffee isn't).

Submitted by Rosemary.

1226

Articles from the Old Site / Re: Tips: Whiskey Recipe

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:50 pm »

Powdered ice teas really do not cut it, however, liquid ice tea is kickin'. Caramel colouring works really well too, but BEWARE- some actors are allergic! Itchy red hives do not make for a rollicking good time for anyone involved.

Submitted by L. Cochran

1227

Articles from the Old Site / Re: Tips: Whiskey Recipe

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:50 pm »

There was recently a tip on creating a liquor type drink like whiskey. I have also found that iced tea doesn't quite cut it, but we recently used ginger ale in a show and just left the caps off the bottle for a while and spent a little time shaking the bottles to get all the fizz out. It worked great.

Submitted by Kevin

1228

Articles from the Old Site / Re: Tips: Whiskey Recipe

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:49 pm »

If you need to make whiskey or brandy or whatever and you don't want to use iced tea or anything like that, it's pretty easy. Just fill the bottle with water, and add 3 drops red food colouring, 2 drops yellow and 1 drop green. If it's not quite right adjust the amount of red or yellow accordingly.

Submitted by Erin

1229

Articles from the Old Site / Tips: Whiskey Recipe

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:49 pm »

I find that when I need to make liquor like whiskey/brandy/scotch etc., iced tea tends to turn out rather foamy or gets a film on top. I usually use a tiny bit of (insert generic cola name here) in water and adjust to colour. I've also been told that caramel colouring will do the trick - supposedly it's tasteless and it readily available at restaurant supply stores.

Submitted by Kate

1230

Articles from the Old Site / Joining the Union

« on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:48 pm »

If your joining, my suggestion is that a person should spend a little time doing his/her research about the union. What is the union/company/contract etc. about. As a member of anything or signing any contract, you should always READ all the information. I find too often that people just sign on the dotted line and ask questions later. Again, it's called show business and should be treated as such. Read everything carefully.

When you join Equity, again, do your research, is it right for me, what are the pro's and con's and what are my responsibilities as a member?

This all goes along with the due's issue. This is something you and the producer should discuss to find the best option for you.  Too often the producer just sends in the info without consulting the stage manager/actor. It is up to you. 

With the Health plan, again, you have to READ all the information. It's all there, I will admit it's a lot, however it's there and there are choices to be made. If you do not make these choices then yes, Equity has no other option than to place you in the appropriate plan.

Again, I have found that people don't do their homework and read the information that is provided. If it hasn't been provided call the union.

Unions are a good thing but we all have to do our part to make it work. As a stage manager I read everything, it's our job.
Don't just sit back and wait for things to happen, if you do, you may not be happy with the results.

Submitted by Luna