Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Something's Afoot

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chelserin
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Topic: Something's Afoot
Posted: 7/31/08 at 7:04pm

Our board just found out that we were denied the rights for "Noises Off" for the spring. Seems they are putting together a tour and all productions are being denied. So we've tentatively decided on is "Something's Afoot" a musical spoof on Agatha Christie's Ten little indians. Does anyone know anything about this show?? Done it, seen it?? Is it any good? I want to make sure that if we can't do Noises that we replace it with a show of equal quality/hilarity.

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belle
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Posted: 7/31/08 at 11:16pm

I've seen it. The tech is challenging--actor hidden in a poof with a blow gun, exploding newel post. Other things, too, I think. The play was funny, but very silly.

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jaytee060
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Posted: 8/01/08 at 7:03am

I have directed this show twice. It is one of the most popular shows we have ever done....both with the audience and the actors.

It is a musical take-off of Agatha Christie's TEN LITTLE INDIANS. And it is a delight in every way. High comedy and catchy songs are highlights of the show. Wonderful roles for both male and females. (A cast of 5m/5f I believe) However the real star of the show is the interesting and funny ways that the characters die. This may be a bit challenging technically but will evoke gales of laughter from the audience.

And this may be the only play ever, that when the play ends, every character in the show is dead. Trust me...this is a really fun show for all. I highly reccommend it to you.

"REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT"

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belle
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Posted: 8/01/08 at 9:21am

A further note. If they play is in the fall/winter, you might want to consider Inspecting Carol. It is wonderfully funny and similar to Noises Off in that it's about a theatrical company with serious problems. It has some technical challenges. It's a straight play.

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chelserin
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Posted: 8/01/08 at 10:44am

Thanks for your imput. This makes me feel a lot better about our choice. It sounded funny, but sometimes it's just hard to tell from a synopsis.

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Topper
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Posted: 8/01/08 at 3:03pm

Another show similar to "Noises Off" is the play "Footlight Frenzy" about a group of community theater performers staging a mystery play in which everything imagineable goes wrong.

The advantages over "Noises Off" is the set is less complicated, there are fewer characters, and no bothersome English accents to mess with.

It is available from Samuel French.

http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/926

"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

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jaytee060
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Posted: 8/01/08 at 6:12pm

If you are looking for a spoof on community theatre. There is also a hysterical farce called "PLAY ON". As good as any theatre based comdy out there and funnier then Noises Off.

"REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT"

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pdavis69
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Posted: 8/04/08 at 10:56am

Do not let the tech problems bother you. I did all the tech/FX projects on this just a few years ago. I have seen this done with very high tech robotics and with very low tech (human) effects. I went for a mid range half and half combination and the results were hillarious. I would be more than glad to talk with your tech person and offer some insight if that would help. My favorite gag was what we called the "demon frog". We built the poof with a big planter in the center. We built a simple pulley operated lift in the center which raised a fat resin garden frog statue which we had plumbed with an air line leading to a nozzel at the mouth. Each night we put a bit of baby powder in the nozzel. When the frog raised out of the planter we opened up a valve on the air tank which sent a blast of air through the line causing the baby powder to puff out the frogs lips. The actor being shot hid a dart in his hand and using slight of hand slapped his neck exposing the dart between his fingers making it look like the dart had come from the frog.

Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

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chelserin
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Posted: 8/04/08 at 12:54pm

That's great! We are still working on getting a director (the one who was going to do "noises off" didn't want to do this one) I will definately let him/her know about your tech expertise on this show. I love the powder frog ! Thanks for sharing, this has been really helpful.

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whitebat
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Posted: 8/21/08 at 7:18pm

Yes, we did "Something's Afoot". Actually it was the first and best play our CT did. For the tech...1. Step blows up--> Clive the Butler (used a sound effect, with smoke from fog maching directed to come through hole in step.)

2. "Gas" from telephone--> the Doctor (our sound guy built a metal telephone, filled with baby powder, and we hooked a tank of compressed air to it at the last minute. The Doctor turned part of it, and the compressed air blew powder out. It did blow the mouthpiece off the phone once).

3. Electrocution--> strobe on victim, sound effect (our actress was in a wheelchair; I think perhaps she "fell" out of the chair during electrocution)

4. Explosion from gas--> Camera type strobe followed by smoke from fog machine

5. Poison dart--> had an actor hide in poof, victim holding dart (As Colonel Gilwether counts down to his death, he goes and lies down on the stretcher to facilitate transport to "library".)

6. Strangling--> actor took specially shaped "hooked" spear and caught Miss Tweed's scarf from offstage

7. Chandelier--> (a near miss) Manually raised and lowered from offstage by tech; Flint "raised" from onstage, ratchet sound effect and attempted to coordinate Flint's "raise" with tech raising. Since it is timed to the song, you really need control of raising & lowering.

8. Sconce--> (Nigel) We used a Halloween type flicker lamp (fan, cloth & lights). Really more like a floor lamp than sconce. Tried lowering manually and nearly hit the actor. Set up so that lamp lowered on wire and stopped at a certain point. From audience, appeared to hit actor. Tech had to crawl under platform and reset lamp with cotter key to hold. Lamp looked real from house!

9. Ming Vase--> (Lettie) Large (ugly) chicken wire & paper mache vase. She just crawled through, and threw out own shoe. Silly sound effect.

10. The phonograph--> borrowed an old phono, actors pretended to crank. Got local radio guy to record message, then static it, catch groove, etc.

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Author	Message
chelserin Lead Joined: 3/02/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Topic: Something's Afoot Posted: 7/31/08 at 7:04pm
	Our board just found out that we were denied the rights for "Noises Off" for the spring. Seems they are putting together a tour and all productions are being denied. So we've tentatively decided on is "Something's Afoot" a musical spoof on Agatha Christie's Ten little indians. Does anyone know anything about this show?? Done it, seen it?? Is it any good? I want to make sure that if we can't do Noises that we replace it with a show of equal quality/hilarity.

	IP Logged

belle Star Joined: 9/12/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Posted: 7/31/08 at 11:16pm
	I've seen it. The tech is challenging--actor hidden in a poof with a blow gun, exploding newel post. Other things, too, I think. The play was funny, but very silly.
	IP Logged

jaytee060 Star Joined: 1/18/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 63	Posted: 8/01/08 at 7:03am
	I have directed this show twice. It is one of the most popular shows we have ever done....both with the audience and the actors. It is a musical take-off of Agatha Christie's TEN LITTLE INDIANS. And it is a delight in every way. High comedy and catchy songs are highlights of the show. Wonderful roles for both male and females. (A cast of 5m/5f I believe) However the real star of the show is the interesting and funny ways that the characters die. This may be a bit challenging technically but will evoke gales of laughter from the audience. And this may be the only play ever, that when the play ends, every character in the show is dead. Trust me...this is a really fun show for all. I highly reccommend it to you.
	"REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT"
	IP Logged

belle Star Joined: 9/12/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Posted: 8/01/08 at 9:21am
	A further note. If they play is in the fall/winter, you might want to consider Inspecting Carol. It is wonderfully funny and similar to Noises Off in that it's about a theatrical company with serious problems. It has some technical challenges. It's a straight play.
	IP Logged

chelserin Lead Joined: 3/02/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Posted: 8/01/08 at 10:44am
	Thanks for your imput. This makes me feel a lot better about our choice. It sounded funny, but sometimes it's just hard to tell from a synopsis.
	IP Logged

Topper Celebrity Joined: 1/27/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 543	Posted: 8/01/08 at 3:03pm
	Another show similar to "Noises Off" is the play "Footlight Frenzy" about a group of community theater performers staging a mystery play in which everything imagineable goes wrong. The advantages over "Noises Off" is the set is less complicated, there are fewer characters, and no bothersome English accents to mess with. It is available from Samuel French. http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/926
	"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone
	IP Logged

jaytee060 Star Joined: 1/18/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 63	Posted: 8/01/08 at 6:12pm
	If you are looking for a spoof on community theatre. There is also a hysterical farce called "PLAY ON". As good as any theatre based comdy out there and funnier then Noises Off.
	"REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT"
	IP Logged

pdavis69 Celebrity Joined: 3/26/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 437	Posted: 8/04/08 at 10:56am
	Do not let the tech problems bother you. I did all the tech/FX projects on this just a few years ago. I have seen this done with very high tech robotics and with very low tech (human) effects. I went for a mid range half and half combination and the results were hillarious. I would be more than glad to talk with your tech person and offer some insight if that would help. My favorite gag was what we called the "demon frog". We built the poof with a big planter in the center. We built a simple pulley operated lift in the center which raised a fat resin garden frog statue which we had plumbed with an air line leading to a nozzel at the mouth. Each night we put a bit of baby powder in the nozzel. When the frog raised out of the planter we opened up a valve on the air tank which sent a blast of air through the line causing the baby powder to puff out the frogs lips. The actor being shot hid a dart in his hand and using slight of hand slapped his neck exposing the dart between his fingers making it look like the dart had come from the frog.
	Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse
	IP Logged

chelserin Lead Joined: 3/02/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Posted: 8/04/08 at 12:54pm
	That's great! We are still working on getting a director (the one who was going to do "noises off" didn't want to do this one) I will definately let him/her know about your tech expertise on this show. I love the powder frog ! Thanks for sharing, this has been really helpful.
	IP Logged

whitebat Celebrity Joined: 8/05/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 137	Posted: 8/21/08 at 7:18pm
	Yes, we did "Something's Afoot". Actually it was the first and best play our CT did. For the tech...1. Step blows up--> Clive the Butler (used a sound effect, with smoke from fog maching directed to come through hole in step.) 2. "Gas" from telephone--> the Doctor (our sound guy built a metal telephone, filled with baby powder, and we hooked a tank of compressed air to it at the last minute. The Doctor turned part of it, and the compressed air blew powder out. It did blow the mouthpiece off the phone once). 3. Electrocution--> strobe on victim, sound effect (our actress was in a wheelchair; I think perhaps she "fell" out of the chair during electrocution) 4. Explosion from gas--> Camera type strobe followed by smoke from fog machine 5. Poison dart--> had an actor hide in poof, victim holding dart (As Colonel Gilwether counts down to his death, he goes and lies down on the stretcher to facilitate transport to "library".) 6. Strangling--> actor took specially shaped "hooked" spear and caught Miss Tweed's scarf from offstage 7. Chandelier--> (a near miss) Manually raised and lowered from offstage by tech; Flint "raised" from onstage, ratchet sound effect and attempted to coordinate Flint's "raise" with tech raising. Since it is timed to the song, you really need control of raising & lowering. 8. Sconce--> (Nigel) We used a Halloween type flicker lamp (fan, cloth & lights). Really more like a floor lamp than sconce. Tried lowering manually and nearly hit the actor. Set up so that lamp lowered on wire and stopped at a certain point. From audience, appeared to hit actor. Tech had to crawl under platform and reset lamp with cotter key to hold. Lamp looked real from house! 9. Ming Vase--> (Lettie) Large (ugly) chicken wire & paper mache vase. She just crawled through, and threw out own shoe. Silly sound effect. 10. The phonograph--> borrowed an old phono, actors pretended to crank. Got local radio guy to record message, then static it, catch groove, etc.
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