PROPS: Putting out lit cigarettes placed in clear ashtrays

[Jonas_A]

Does anyone have a way to silently extinguish burning cigarettes when they're placed in a glass/crystal ashtray? I'm currently SMing a play where several characters put down lit cigarettes into clear glass ashtrays, but we need the cigarettes to self-extinguish so they don't present a fire hazard (also because otherwise our tiny theatre will stink of herbal cigarettes).

There needs to be no sizzle or noise, and sand is not appropriate because of the glass ashtrays. I've heard that water-based lubricant works - does anyone else have suggestions that won't make a noise?

We're definitely using herbal cigarettes: director is hellbent on them, company is quite ok with it and in the 80-seat theatre, any other substitute will be noticeable apart from e-cigarettes, which they don't want to use, particularly because the cast smokes almost a dozen between them in a single show and cigarettes get begged, stolen and procured from every pocket and location possible. The more I think about it, the more I want to advise using e-cigarettes.

Thanks in advance! - Jonas

[Maribeth]

Vaseline on the inside of the ashtrays is what I've used. I don't think it would make an audible sizzle.

[iamchristuffin]

Hi Jonas,

I've used vaseline before as well - you need to heat it a little to make the vaseline more pliable, and then pour it into the ashtray. It gets pretty disghusting after a while, and would need scraping out regularly.

My go-to is a clear shower gel (Sanex and Simple are good options here in the UK), which may make a noise. My first thought is jiust using a small amount, getting the cast to stub out the cigarette in a dry portion of the tray, then into the gel. This would get rid of most of the sizzle that might exist.

C

[leastlikely]

I've used KY Jelly for the same purposes. I don't know what the pros and cons are of KY over vaseline, but the tour came to me using KY, so that's what we used. Maybe the main pro is that you can squeeze it from a tube rather than needing to use fingers/popsicle stick etc. to glob it?

[iamchristuffin]

Don't know about with you, but lube is a bit more expensive here!

[Plabebob]

I've always used KY for this. It's completely clear and it doesn't make a noise.

[Jonas_A]

Thanks everyone! I've just tried a water-based lubricant which is very similar to KY and found that it sizzled a little bit, but not as much as water. Add to that the ease of use, and I think we'll go with that. Thanks so much for the advice!

[smejs]

Been years since I've used it, so can't remember if it made a noise, but in the past we were fans of non-alcohol clear hair gel in ashtrays onstage.

Erin

[GNS BOXY]

I've seen some specialized cigarettes that are designed for this kind of thing

[Pappa Dolla]

Another one that would suggest KY jelly as well. You don't need to use a ton of it either.

[MarcieA]

I'm currently using alcohol-free clear hair gel in a vintage crystal ashtray with no problems.