1. Directed by Chris D’Angelo Stage Managed by Fang Du
Thinking Outside the Box
“Maybe Prague”
Written by Erica Opper
Directed by Chris D’Angelo
Stage Managed by Fang Du
By,
Group II
Andrew Dimond
Charles Gibson
Jaclyn Janukowicz
Claudia Leahy

2. Overview of Effects Weather Effect: Fog
Balloon Popping Effect: Voodoo Doll
Flying Effect: Crystal Ball
Falling Effect: Tea Falling, Voodoo Doll
Light Effect: Light Moving Across Actor’s Face

3. All Effects On Grid

4. Fog Effect: Design Concept
Predetermined quantity of dry ice (Approximately 4 minutes=3 Styrofoam cups of dry ice)
Consistent temperature of hot plate
Dry ice added to pot during set-up
Rubber gloves used to handle dry ice
Fog accumulates as hot plate continues to warm up and reaction between hot water and dry ice proceeds
Placed under table inside grid
Production of fog eventually stops once dry ice is used up
Hot plate connected to extension chord plugged in at the control station

5. Fog Effect: Picture

6. Fog Effect: Miscommunication?
Pre-assumed dry ice would be added right before the start of the play
Director informed group that he thought it would get in the way of actors if dry ice was added to close to the start of the play
Result: Fog was not very visible as time went on in the play
We obeyed instructions of client, however failed to meet client’s needs

7. Voodoo Doll Effect: Design Concept
DCM-216 motor connected to gearbox
Shaft faces towards the inside of the gearbox and gear epoxy glued to shaft
Plastic spool epoxy glued to gear
Gear attached to other end of plastic spool
Long screw goes threw both 2nd gear and other end of gearbox to create more stability
Fishing wire tied around the spool with voodoo doll attached
Door lock motor attached to side of gear box with needle facing balloon
SPDT Snap-Action Switch with Lever attached to bottom of gearbox
Cardboard with metal wire running threw attached switch protruding to center of gearbox in direct path of voodoo doll
motor moves at extremely rapid pace and instantly winds up the fishing wire causing voodoo doll to “disappear”
Voodoo doll hits the cardboard/metal wire complex (thus hitting snap-action switch) turning motor off and door lock motor on
Needle shoots outward towards balloon and pops it
Two events occur simultaneously

8. Voodoo Doll Effect: Picture

9. Voodoo Doll Effect: Success!
Client specified that balloon popping occur right after doll disappeared
Snap-Action Switch helped to ensure this
Effect shocked audience and added greatly to quality of play

10. Crystal Ball Effect: Design Concept
ACM-105 motor used (slow moving motor that allows for crystal ball to move at slow pace)
ACM-105 motor placed inside gearbox with motor rod sticking out bottom
Small gear attached to motor rod
Next to small gear is big gear which has a metal rod placed through the center of it
Another metal rod with crystal ball attached by a string to it is attached perpendicularly to first metal rod
Crystal ball is large Styrofoam ball spray-painted silver
Counterweight is large Styrofoam ball spray-painted black
Motor turns on turning small gear at a relatively slow pace
Slow gear turns large gear which slows motion of system even more
Metal rod going through large gear turns as gear turns
As metal rod rotates perpendicular metal rod with the crystal ball attached rotates as well
Counterweight attached to other side of second metal rod to balance out weight put on the system
Causes crystal ball to rotate horizontally around Kasha and Steve

11. Crystal Ball Effect: Picture

12. Crystal Ball Effect: Success!
Client wanted crystal ball to move slowly towards actress and to stop in front of her
Crystal ball also was to be initially “floating in air” before it began movement
Also was to be detachable
All of these requirements met, except ball was not easily removed
Crystal ball aesthetically pleasing and looked “real”

13. Tea Falling Effect: Design Concept
Two springy solenoids utilized to hold T-shaped PVC pipe tube with the cross of T at bottom
Opposite end of PVC pip tube has multiple holes drilled into it for water to flow out of once released
Cap that holes drilled into able to be unscrewed easily
Ensures that water can easily be inserted into the pipe
Springy solenoids are connected to a piece of wood
Attached to each springy solenoid is a piece of fishing line that ties threw tip of springy solenoid
Piece of metal wire attached to top of PVC pipe
Fishing wire tied around metal wire holding PVC pipe up and preventing water from releasing
Solenoids cut off from power supply launching spring parts over edge of the frame that is holding the contraption together
Extra weight of springs added to both sides of PVC T-section causes it to tip over
Allows “tea” to pour from holes of pipe into teapot
Contraption located in half circular cardboard frame
Square cut out where PVC pipe flips over to act as stopper so water does not splash everywhere
Two pieces of wood hold PVC pipe from both sides
Two hanger heads suspend whole effect from pole

14. Tea Falling Effect: Picture

15. Tea Falling Effect: Malfunction
Client requested for tea to actually fall from sky into pot
Tea did not end up falling from sky due to leakage of tea into fixture
Leakage caused friction between PVC pipe and the cardboard preventing the PVC pipe from rotating completely
This prevented any tea from releasing from fixture
It was good that tea did not fall at all, rather than later on falling randomly in the play

16. Light Effect: Design Concept
Light Effect is a motor that rotates a piece of cardboard with designs cut out of it in front of a lamp
An ACM-105 motor placed inside plastic gearbox with shaft protruding on outside of box
Small gear epoxy glued to motor rod
Hole drilled next to motor rod, metal rod goes threw hole
Large gear epoxy glued to metal rod and placed next to small gear
Motor runs, small gear rotates, large gear rotates, and metal rod rotates
Cardboard with design cut out connected to the metal rod
When metal rod spins cardboard spins as well.
On top of gearbox a piece of wood attached
Angle created by wood so lamp points in direction of actor
Lamp will secured by wire
Metal can placed around lamp helping to focus light
Overall effect is focused light and patterns passing over Kasha’s face

17. Light Effect:
Picture

18. Light Effect: Where did the gear go!
Light effect had two parts: light and movement of cardboard design board
Light worked, cardboard design board did not move
After play, found that gear fell off of the motor rod
Did not harm quality of play because when the lights went out, there was still a light with designs on it that was presented on the actor’s face
Had the light not worked, and the motor worked, then there would be darkness with no light at all and a motor running that produced no visible effect