Fun
FAQs & Helpful Hints
Breakin'
Away
Breakaways
don't require a lot of expertise in use -- you hit something (or
someone) with them and they break. However, there are a few things
you should know before working with breakaway effects.
First, always buy more breakaway effects than you'll need for your
performances. Remember that you're working with a product that is
designed to break. I'd recommend having at least one, preferably
two, spare effects on hand throughout the run of your show. Any
"leftovers" can always be saved for future productions
or given away at the cast party. Enterprising theatre companies
could even sell raffle tickets on a chance to whack the director
(or leading man, or whomever) over the head!
Speaking of whacking people over the head, let's talk a bit about
safety. If you are planning to have somebody hit on the head with
a breakaway
bottle, please do not add any fluid to that bottle. It may seem
like a good way to make the effect more realistic (after all, very
few bars keep empty whiskey
bottles on hand) but one of two Very Bad Things™ will
happen
1) The bottom of the bottle will break as soon as the bottle is
lifted, adding an unintentionally comic effect to your show.
2) The bottle will hold together long enough for the actor to be
struck with it. At this point, your lightweight prop has had a pound
or more of mass added to it and that can be hazardous. Ask yourself
this, "Would I rather be hit with a sock, or a sock full of
marbles?" 'Nuff said.
When working with breakaway
window units, always make sure that the breakaway unit is installed
in the same position every night. This really is only a concern
if you are removing an entire, multi-pane window unit every night
to re-install the breakaway
glass. I've heard many stories of actors having to deal with
a breakaway window that is suddenly not a breakaway. In one case,
the actor realized that the window he was supposed to smash during
a "break-in" scene had been installed upside-down, putting
the breakaway glass in an unusable position. His solution? He reached
around the set to undo the window latch, slid the window up and
made his entrance to a round of applause from the audience.
You may want a breakaway to break into large, easily managed pieces.
This may be because the area in which the breakage occurs is used
again for another scene. Having bits of broken resin crunching underfoot
is annoying and possibly dangerous. A good way to limit the amount
of shattering is to apply a thin coat of Sculpt-or-Coat (a clear
liquid modeling product from Sculptural Arts) or a clear polyurethane
sealer to the prop. In effect, you are making "safety glass"
which should hold together better. Please note that this is not
a good idea for any props that will be broken on an actor.
Okay, you've pulled off your stunning breakaway effect! The barroom
brawl was a huge success and now the audience has gone home. What
to do with all this leftover "glass"? Sweep it up, now!
If you take a moment to examine a shard of broken breakaway glass,
you'll notice that it's still fairly hard, and may have pointy ends.
Left on the floor, it can be a hazard to anyone walking through
the area so get it cleaned up. If you're one of those people who
just can't throw anything away, save the pieces in a wooden box;
by the end of the show you'll have a good start on a crash box to
use for sound effects in a future production.
*********************************************
Theatre Effects Customer Service Department
service@theatrefx.com
www.theatrefx.com
Theatre Effects, 642 Frederick St., Hagerstown, MD 21740
Phone: 1-800-791-7646 or 301-791-7646 Fax: 301-791-7719 *********************************************
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