raw hamburger for Bus Stop
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=2769
Printed Date: 7/27/25 at 6:22am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: raw hamburger for Bus Stop
Posted By: mickey
Subject: raw hamburger for Bus Stop
Date Posted: 10/23/07 at 9:02pm
|
Looking for ideas for edible 'raw hamburger' patties for Bus Stop. So far the best I've come up with is chopped gummy bears pressed into patties! Any other ideas? ------------- You may know what you need but to get what you want better see that you keep what you have... |
Replies:
Posted By: Mr. Lowell
Date Posted: 10/23/07 at 9:48pm
|
It needs to have a little stringyness to it to look like real ground beef. So you might experiment by getting some of that thin cherry flavored "Rope Licorice" and putting it in a blender for a few seconds. If necessary, you can mist it with a little water afterwards to make it tacky enough to glob together well. But if it appears too uniformly red in color, then you might need to add some white specks give it the fatty content of hamburg. Maybe find some clear colored "Gummy Worms" to grind up in the blender and mix in with the red stuff.
Another option is to use a real meat product that is already pre-cooked in the can...for the safety of your actor. Maybe some minced up Spam or Deviled Ham could be wolfed down during that scene. If this is too pinkish, then maybe it could be darkened with red food coloring. Sounds yummy!
 Whatever you use, it's always wise to have your Prop Manager whip up NEW practical food for each performance because stuff can get nasty between shows and under the lights.
Good luck, Dana
(P.S. I just saw Bus Stop last year at the union theatre here in town. I don't recall that "raw hamburger" bit at all. But I did watch a woman cook real scrambled eggs on an electric diner grittle as part of her stage business).
------------- Mr. Lowell, Lighting/Set Designer & Tech Director, for the Linda Sloan Theatre, in the Davison Center for the Arts, at Greensboro Day School |
Posted By: neilfortin
Date Posted: 10/23/07 at 9:54pm
|
In the past we have used an semi-unripe tomato-the kind you get at the supermarket...with all of its juicy part removed and coursley blended for fake hamburger, it worked perfectly! Its just the right pinkish color with the slightly clear pieces and pats together nicely. ------------- Community Theater makes us smile |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 10/23/07 at 10:21pm
|
"Spam" - YUK! Why not chuck in dolop of 'Vegemite' [that gaed awful Aussie product they flogged off & lumbered the US market with] for colour to the burnt offering [Similar to the Micro waved reheated ones, that the 'Scottish Cafe' churns out.] Or even have a a domestic griddle hot plate & cook the real thing off stage. The smell of onions & meat burning. would add to the punters experiance. I feel the crew would love you for it? |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 10/23/07 at 10:49pm
|
I believe a similar posting to this was answered previously. My suggestion was to run salami through a food processor and adding a few drops of red food coloring to give it that raw, bloody look. ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 10/24/07 at 7:16am
Is your big bad Beau that squeamish?  We just used raw hamburger and he chowed it down. Fresh from the butcher each day was important. Tell your actor that steak tartar would cost him a fortune in a posh restaurant - and he's getting it for free!  |
Posted By: mickey
Date Posted: 10/24/07 at 8:54am
Is your big bad Beau that squeamish?  We just used raw hamburger and he chowed it down. Fresh from the butcher each day was important. Tell your actor that steak tartar would cost him a fortune in a posh restaurant - and he's getting it for free!  I did try, but there's this EColi thing that he's all up in arms about...
Thank you all for the suggestions! ------------- You may know what you need but to get what you want better see that you keep what you have... |
Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:28am
|
Why not make a pastry dough, dye it red and put it through the meat grinder? --or put it through a playdough factory toy. (so that it looks like the meat does--sort of worm like pieces). You can sweeten it and add cinnamon to make it taste like cookies or simply used any purchased refrigerator cookie dough dyed red.
You will need to store this in a ziplock bag and refrigerate it so it doesn't spoil. Many kids have eaten cookie dough and not died! If you want it really to look fresh spritz it with water or veg. oil before serving.
Ah yes, that reminds me. I had to make whale blubber that was edible once. We made it with jello--doubled the gellatin and added artificial creamer (like coffee creamer). We streaked it with red dye to be blood. Voila! Instant edible blubber!
|
Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 10/24/07 at 12:36pm
|
How about GROUND BOLOGNA? Good enough to eat, can be made to look like hamburger from the distance (and that makes a difference) and isn't expensive. Just need someone with a meat grinder. You may even be able to convince the local grocer to grind it through their hamburger grinder for you and you'll likely get the texture or look of ground beef which if you had to you could embellish a bit with food coloring for a darker red or a varied colored look enough to "convince" the audience. So many idea that will work. Make meat out of meat you can eat. The actor will get over the flavor - he'll just have to. HAHA!!
TonyDi ------------- "Almost famous" |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 10/25/07 at 11:33am
oh - that's right. when we did the play, food was still safe in the U.S. damn, I'm old.  |