Breaking a vase onstage...

[kiwitechgirl]

Got a show coming up where a character fires a gun, hitting a vase with the bullet and breaking it. Clearly we can't actually fire a real gun at the vase (entertaining though that might be!) so we're looking for alternatives. We'd prefer to not have to use a new vase every night - it's a six week run so cost is a factor - anyone have any bright ideas as to how we could make this work? The vase is on a table right from the start of the show, so something fishing line-based is possibly an option!

 

[Van]

I've always prefered the mouse trap trick. you rig the vase so it's sitting on a mouse or rat trap you rig the trap in one of a number of different ways then trigger the trap with either a solenoid or a string. It smacks the vase, vase shatters. I guess you could do something similar with a "pre-broken" vase. but pad the trap, and maybe just tack glue the vase together every night.
Check a local pottery supplier and price some "greenware" it's cheaper and safer than breaking fully fired clay onstage.

 

[photoatdv]

Or hit your local dollar store/ thrift store for a cheap vase to break.

 

[BrianWolfe]

For "Annie" we made a heavy fiberglass casting of a vase, cut it apart and put it back together using velcro tabs. It worked great. I like the dollar store idea too.

 

[jessamarie6]

I used plastic mugs that looked ceramic for a scene once. We numbered the pieces and used scotch tape on the inside to put them back together each night.