How have you "melted the witch"?

[wavemaster447]

I've done it with a trapdoor with a mini-trapdoor cut in it. The actor stood over the trapdoor and a techie reached through the mini-trapdoor and secured the bottom of the witche's dress to the stage right around the door. (to hold it in place) He then opened the full trapdoor and reached up with a stick to hold the Witche's dress up (from the top back) while she slipped out of the bottem of the dress out of the trapdoor. (slightly obscured by fog). The techie then lowered teh stick/dress through the mini-door to create a melting effect. Nobody I talked to noticed the method we used - they guessed it was a trapdoor but they thought it was weird how the witch "melted" from inside the dress.

oh, and note. The actress should probably wear something substantial under the dress, since there will be a techie reaching up it, and she has to go around with out a dress until she gets something else on... (I think ours wore a leotard)

 

[dramatech]

We did the wagon with a platform on it, with part of the platform a smaller platform inserted into the larger one. The smaller platform was on four vertical tracks made from water pipe. The bottom of the platform was attached by cables to a hydraulic cylinder like the ones used in an engine lift. When the witch had water thrown onto her, she was lowered by a tech under the set piece, opening the valve on the hydraulic cylinder. The valve had a limiter on it so that it could only be opened enough to make the descent smooth. Of course there was the fog and cape staying on the platform to conceal the descent. We also used the same device on the Foreigner, but this time it was lowered into the covered orchestra pit.

 

[JoelEBear]

You could do that shadow play business like in Wicked.
Like have the Witch step behind a white curtain, back light it and have her pretend to melt and once you think the audience is satisfied with the effect, kill the light, have the witch run off stage but leaver her hat, cloak, and broomstick.

 

[derekleffew]

Great idea, JoelEBear. This could also solve the "How do I make Peter Pan fly?" dilemma (I'm thinking puppets on long sticks or wires).http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/members/joelebear.html

 

[philhaney]

Hughesie translated:
A "truck" is Aussie for "wagon".
A "trolley" is Aussie for a "wagon" with a handle on one end for pushing and pulling.

Not just Aussie, but most non-US English-speaking countries.

Hence the "Sweets Lady" in the Harry Potter movies who comes by with the cart loaded with candy and says, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

To stay on topic: When we did this for "The Forigner" part of the set was a platform about 3' above the deck. During act one, the door in the floor to the basement was a wood door (1" ply, I think) flush with the platform. During intermission we removed the door and replaced it with a scissor lift painted to look like the door (it also was flush to the platform and the "door hole" was designed to fit right around it). the actor came in dressed in a sheet that covered the lift and we just slowly lowered him. It was SO cool.