How to melt the wicked witch
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup
Forum Discription: For how-to's and where-can-I-find
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2260
Printed Date: 5/14/24 at 4:52am
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Topic: How to melt the wicked witch
Posted By: kmdded
Subject: How to melt the wicked witch
Date Posted: 2/13/07 at 2:30pm
| Hey all, Thanks so much for all your contributions re: the yellow brick road on the set construction site. Now I need help in ideas as to how to melt the wicked witch. My thought was to use a bucket full of sparkly confetti and have her slink down behind a rock so only her hat is left on top of the rock......but i would love to hear your ideas. |
Replies:
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 2/13/07 at 3:11pm
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I remember a production where the witch got splashed with water and then she toppled over backwards behind a low wall (I'm assuming onto a hidden pad or mattress).
Screaming "I'm melting" she would flail about behind the wall -- duck down again -- and was replaced with a LITTLE GIRL (I'm assuming one of the Munchkins) wearing a witch hat and costume that were much too big on her.
This miniature witch would flail about (while we still heard the original witch screaming) -- duck down behind the wall -- and be replaced with a HAND PUPPET in a witch's costume (I'm assuming again, operated by the original witch actress).
Finally, this puppet would slink below the wall as the screams faded. It was very theatrical, effective and frankly, hilarious. It got huge applause for its sheer audacity.
------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 2/15/07 at 9:55am
That's the funniest thing I've ever heard! ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: Karin
Date Posted: 2/20/07 at 8:42am
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In our production of the Wizard of Oz we used extra long mylar strips cut about 1/4-1/2 inch wide, and placed them in a bucket. After Dorothy threw the "water," we had Dorothy, tinman, lion etc... move so that they blocked the audience's view for a few seconds.... It was just enough time for one of the munchkins to grab her hat and place it on the stage.. .. and for the witch to make a quick exit stage right. |
Posted By: tblan
Date Posted: 2/21/07 at 11:53pm
| We've also done the little witch and hand puppet scheme. Though its pretty apparent what is really going on, it does add a nice touch of humor. |
Posted By: jtonner
Date Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:36pm
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One way to accomplish this is to build a raised platform with a sliding trap door (a stage hand can pull it from behind a cover curtain. There should be a set of stairs under the trap door and the witch slowly backs down the stairs while the cape and hat cover the hole. John ------------- John |
Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 4/25/07 at 3:17pm
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I just built a set piece to do just this trick. Before the dressers got to the piece it looked very much like a gallows. Steps leading up to a raised platform with a trap door in the center. The witches throne stis over the platform. Both the chairs seat and the trap door sre hinged to drop down. As the actress is hit with the confetti, she drops into the seat with her robe covering the trap door. From underneath a stage hand lets down the trap door and then lets down the seat bottom (Obviously the witch is supporting herself on the throne chair arms). As she steps down the ladder the robe stays at the throne and she just slips out from beneath, the wide brimmed witch hat covering the neck hole. When she is out the doors are raised again. ------------- Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse |
Posted By: theatreron
Date Posted: 7/26/07 at 12:33am
| Munchkins aren't in the scene when she melts. |
Posted By: neilfortin
Date Posted: 7/26/07 at 8:52am
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They are not saying that there are munchkins IN this scene..just that for the effect, someone who was playing a munchkin will play a smaller witch ------------- Community Theater makes us smile |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 7:04am
that is hilarious - I've never heard that one before! it's almost worth doing a production just to swipe the idea! 
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Posted By: Ken W
Date Posted: 8/16/07 at 3:42pm
| We just did that version of the show. It was actually written that way. It is supposed to be a less technically challenging script. The witch fell into her cauldron and shrank. |
Posted By: Ringbo
Date Posted: 12/21/07 at 6:51am
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In our production we made a huge couldron. we used a wood base with chicken wire and lots of paper mache. the witch tipped into it backwords (pillows were lining the bottom. And then a young child dressed the same climbed out. We left an opening in the back bottom for the child to wait untill the witch fell in, that way no one got hurt. At the top of the couldron we had a ledge for them to use when falling in and out. The little witch climbed out and started running around the set. The other characters caught her through her back in and she said she was melting dipped down into the couldron and up went a small doll dressed as the witch. If was so funny and most memorable. ------------- Live each day like its opening nite! |
Posted By: Nyria
Date Posted: 2/10/08 at 1:38pm
I know this is from awhile ago but I thought I'd add anyhoo =)
We did this really simply - we had a big black wood box on stage with a hole in the middle of it. I can't remember how we hid the hole but ... when it came time for her to melt she simply stepped into the hole - we had her wearing a big cape in this scene and the cape spread arpund the top of the hole so as she melted her cape stayed up and she melted below it.  ------------- NYRIA |
Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 2/10/08 at 6:23pm
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A fairly easy way to make the witch shrink is to play her in shadow behind a shadow screen. When she moves closer to the light source she becomes bigger, when she moves toward the screen she becomes smaller.
This also doesn't have to be the live person, it can be a puppet and similar variations.
A fun variation of this is to put a witches hat on a telescoping stick and have the rest of the witch as a silk cutout attached to the hat. When she's behind the shadow screen you see 'the witch' in profile as a silhouette--perhaps the winged monkeys or witch's soldiers even dance or march around her. But when she gets splashed with water the stick is contracted (telescoped) and her hat slowly falls down into a lump of clothes. When fully melted someone picks up the hat and carries it out front of the screen. Since the witch's hat is pointed upward, even a small fishing line can be used instead of the telescoping stick. The fishing line is attached to the hat which holds the silk/fabric outline of the witch....drop the line and the witch goes away. Using the fishing line method you can also puppet her one hand to add realism.
Alternatively, projections of her shrinking will do also. ------------- _____________ http://www.studio-productions-inc.com 1-800-359-2964 The theater scrim people |
Posted By: mvp1114
Date Posted: 4/20/08 at 9:24pm
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When we did "The Wiz" we used a bucket of mylar strips & confetti for the water (what a mess every night!). We had the witch up on a raised platform with a rectangular hole cut in the top. We bought a cart from Northern Equipment that had a 30" hydraulic lift. The lift was level with the platform top, and we just released the lift with the witch standing on it and she "melted" into the platform, with her robe and hat staying on top 9she only had to crouch a little).
Mike ------------- schlechy techy |
Posted By: theatremonkey
Date Posted: 6/04/08 at 1:58pm
 The last two times we have done oz the witch has been on a raised platform as the castle and is lowered through a trap door attached to a remote control motor and the so called water was just blue and silver confetti------------- theatre monkey |