Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup: Rat attack!

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Rat attack!

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=3032
Printed Date: 7/30/25 at 2:08am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Rat attack!

Posted By: lizzie
Subject: Rat attack!
Date Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:26pm

Im new on this site....

I would like to know if anyone knows how to create some fake rats or where to find some. My high school will be performing Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe....

InThe Pit and Pendulum, there is a scene where rats come from off stage and a pit to attack the only actor on stage. The rats are supposed to free him from ropes just in time to save him from the slowly dropping

Also if anyone knows anything about blacklights and how they react with different things. That would be great since we may also be using them in this scene to make the wall glow as if they were being heated.

Replies:

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 3/11/08 at 4:30am

easiest & cheapest way is to use a Fluro Tube light fitting, any domestic type will do.

Buy a 'blacklight' fluro tube & fit it in the light fixture.

Use flyro paints or fabrics.

Rossco Fluro Paints;-

http://www.rosco.com/us/scenic/fluo_paint.asp - http://www.rosco.com/us/scenic/fluo_paint.asp

Check out this site for more info;-

UV effects & materials;-

http://www.wildfirefx.com/ - http://www.wildfirefx.com/

There is also glow in the dark products that can be used;-

http://glowinc.com/ - http://glowinc.com/ without using UV.

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

Posted By: gracie
Date Posted: 3/11/08 at 5:08am

Don't know what you can afford or how it would work out, but Oriental Trading has rats on their website. Just type rats in the search box. http://www.orientaltrading.com - www.orientaltrading.com

Also, what about having a few grade school students do a guest spot, dressed as rats? Maybe someone's little brother/sister would want to get up on stage. That would probably be easiest, since they actually have to be able to move (enter from off stage, release the captive).

If you are looking for something that will work with black lights. Anything white, especially cotton material. Someone once told me laundry detergent has phosphorsence in it and would be a cheap way to go.

I found this question/answer on yahoo:

How do you make tide glow under black light?

You don't have to do anything to make laundry detergent glow under a blacklight, as long as the detergent contains phosphors. This usually works best with a powder detergent which advertises "Brighter whites".
In college we used to mix some powdered detergent with a little water and fling it onto the ceiling of our dorm room to make star patterns.

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www.vermillionplayers.com - www.vermillionplayers.com

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 3/11/08 at 7:58am

Much the same happens with dandruff on black techies clothing.

Also with female underwear.

I'd forgotten about the detergent, thanks Gracie.

-------------
[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

Posted By: lizzie
Date Posted: 3/11/08 at 9:44pm

Yes your most definitly right about the little kids dressing up as rats, but we're not allowed to involve children under the Jr. High level. I will go ahead and suggest it though to see if we can work that out.

Thanks for the site...I think it may be of help if the previous idea is unsuccessful.

Thanks,

Liz

Posted By: whitebat
Date Posted: 3/12/08 at 7:33pm

I have a couple ideas about the rats. Tie the ropes together with threads, which your actor can break. Purchase or make some lightweight stuffed rats. Then put some small vibrating motors in them. The type I mean are found in some stuffed toys. You pull a string (or sometimes press a button) and the whole toy shakes. This would make the rats look "active" while they are on the actor. You would probably have to have someone offstage drag the rats on to begin with. Possibly you could put them on multiple lines and jerk them, kind of like duck decoys, when they are supposed to show a whole flock of ducks. It might be easier to have more of the rats come out of the pit itself.