Raising an actor

[Robert F Jarvis]

Director wants to suspend "Uncle Fester" so he can bat the moon! And, we can't fly him. He only has to go up about 6' or 8'. I was thinking maybe a sort of teeter totter with actor counter balance with weights but hooking him up to the other end seems awfully complicated. Ideas as to easiest safe way to elevated him would be appreciated. Whatever is used would be painted black and he would be spot lit so hiding the works.

 

[gafftaper]

What about a stairway? A small raised platform? Some sort of hybrid of ladder and elevated work platform?

If you are thinking about doing this at the end of the show where Fester flies off there is very little time in the music for this to happen so take a close look at where it fits in the show and how much time you have. Keep it simple. My theater has a lighting box boom in the house and we had Fester "take off" by running off stage and then he climbed up to the box boom to plant a flag on the moon. The timing was really tight for him to get there.

 

[Crisp image]

Bring the moon to Fester. Safer to do that than to have him raised.

 

[gafftaper]

Bring the moon to Fester. Safer to do that than to have him raised.

True, having him step up on a small platform as you fly the moon down would look great!

 

[Robert F Jarvis]

I'm putting this to the director and stage manager Monday. Thanks gafftaper.

We're a small theater without a boxes so that isn't viable. But I reckon some sort of stairs, ladder might be the simplest. A lot simpler then hanging him from a my teeter totter type lever idea. Appreciated input.

 

[Robert F Jarvis]

Oh, never thought of that. I'll make some drawigns and see what they think

 

[gafftaper]

... And again @Robert F Jarvis be sure you look at exactly where they want to do it in the show. How much time do you actually have to pull it off?

 

[JChenault]

Is this at the end when he flies a rocket to the moon, or mid act 2 when he sings to the moon

 

[Crisp image]

I'm putting this to the director and stage manager Monday. Thanks gafftaper.

We're a small theater without a boxes so that isn't viable. But I reckon some sort of stairs, ladder might be the simplest. A lot simpler then hanging him from a my teeter totter type lever idea. Appreciated input.

Some steps that are 2ft wide with 3 steps would raise 2ft. Not much cost in that and easy to build. Talk to cabinet makers and see if you can get some packing sheets to build the steps. I use this stuff all the time and get it for free.
Regards
Geoff

 

[Robert F Jarvis]

From the clip I saw it was quite a long time as he sings or talks as he rises and move towards the moon.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Thought this was about children.

 

[Robert F Jarvis]

Its Part of Addams Family where Uncle fester is spotlit while rising toward a very large moon that he bats around a bit. He is not too far off the deck. Probably settle for a platform on wheels (painted all black) with maybe a ladder or some steps. We're dark at the moment and $$$$ are in short supply so KISS

 

[JChenault]

So the way we did it was in front of blacks, fester walked up a ramp about 1’6” high. When the chorus gathered around him we strapped on fake legs With rods for a stagehand to control.. this lets him seem to be suspended, and lets you do funny things with the less. We also had our moon ( a beach ball on a pole ) moving in and out.

at the end as fester is swimming toward the moon ( is the puppeteer is kicking his legs as if he is swimming upward and SL ) and the moon is just beyond his reach made you think he was flying, when he was really just standing.

its cheep, takes a LOT of rehearsal, and looks fabulous.

 

[Robert F Jarvis]

This sounds simple and safe. I'm guessing you had a black baffle on the ramp front up to his waist so that you could add the "legs" - very funny. So last scene he bends over poking top half out of side of baffle and having "legs" now horizontal and kicking. Hilarious. Thank you.

 

[Ben Stiegler]

I'm putting this to the director and stage manager Monday. Thanks gafftaper.

We're a small theater without a boxes so that isn't viable. But I reckon some sort of stairs, ladder might be the simplest. A lot simpler then hanging him from a my teeter totter type lever idea. Appreciated input.

and cheaper on the life insurance policy side, too

 

[What Rigger?]

Thought this was about children.

Same here.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Same here.

Fly actors, raise children. I don't know wtf it is when you're doing the flying and your kid is the performer.

 

[JChenault]

This sounds simple and safe. I'm guessing you had a black baffle on the ramp front up to his waist so that you could add the "legs" - very funny. So last scene he bends over poking top half out of side of baffle and having "legs" now horizontal and kicking. Hilarious. Thank you.

No baffle at all. Just wearing black from the waist down. If you had a baffle, the puppeteer would have problems manipulating the legs.
Put fester in a bit of side light, keeping it off of the operator. Make his swimsuit white / black so it is VERY visible, put the puppeteer in black with a head covering.
The key is keep it pretty dim so you don't notice the operator. But if you choreographic it right, no one will care if they do see them.

 

[JChenault]

Thought this was about children.

Yeah. I thought it was some backstage person trying to figure how to turn their child away from acting to the dark side and get them out of the spotlight.

 

[Crisp image]

Remember just because it has been done this way or that way does not mean it needs to be done this way or that way. Play with it and make it your (or the Directors) own vision.
When we mounted Adams Family our Fester did not leave the ground so much as rode on a moon chair. which was a crescent moon mounted on a riser that had wheels and motors under it. The moon lit up for most of the "Moon and Me" and when Fester sings I love you at the end a heart lit up in the middle of the moon.
The moon chair was radio controlled and moved around stage during the song. During the finale Fester rode out on the moon chair and when it was fueled a smoke machine was fired from under it to turn it into a rocket and then he left for the moon.
It worked well. I know you say there is no budget or materials and I get that. This is just an example of something different. I ended up selling the moon chair to a school for their production minus all the electronics underneath.

Regards
Geoff