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Les Mis - Firearms


andrewg112

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Hi to all, I realise this topic must have been much debated and discussed, but in the every changing world I think our moral responsibility keeps changing.

We have a production of 'Les Mis Schools Edition' next month which has the very important barricade scenes where the battle happens. As the show dictates the people at the barricade use their riffles during these scenes which also will feature strobe lighting, haze and pyro. We have had 8 entirely fake rifles made by a parent within the youth society, they look convincing from far away, however up close they are obviously fake. We have taken great care to get them to the performance venue carefully and look after them.

My question is when advertising the use of Pryo, strobe lighting before the show starts, do you feel it is now also necessary to inform the audience of the use of 'Prop Firearms at points during the show' ?

I feel split over the issue, with the my thinking being that by introducing the issue we could just be scaremongering, people come to the theatre to watch Les Mis and expect to see them ? Don't they ?!

Thanks, Andrew

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Personally - I wouldn't dream of it. Too many warning nowadays. Strobes can be bad for a small number of people, and pyros probably don't really need one, but I suppose somebody might get frightened by maroons, but probably not smoke, and flash type effects.

 

I had a complaint because I couldn't guarantee that egg shell contamination of the auditorium had not taken place? I was asked if we were keeping records of which seats could have been contaminated by "egg debris". I said we were not, and was told a warning should have been in place. "Danger - this auditorium may contain small amounts of egg debris".

 

I doubt anyone would need a warning about prop weapons for any sensible purpose like this.

 

How about "Warning - no cute child was harmed in the production, and their death was called acting"

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When you say

As the show dictates

Do you mean "our director dictates"?

When we did it, we used neither strobes nor pyro. Flashing was done with generics and LED and bangs/explosions were done using sfx, so no need for any special warnings :)

 

We did have a fog machine, but warning about use of fog is probably just asking for coughing attacks... :rolleyes:

it had to be used sparingly though.... smoke detectors! :angry:

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How about "Warning - no cute child was harmed in the production, and their death was called acting"

"Warning - Events on this stage aren't actually real!"

Oh dear, flashbacks. Timberlake Wertenbaker's The Love of the Nightingale has a rape/mutilation scene that I, and The Stage, thought I did really well. Too well for the rape "victim's" fiance who had to be restrained from attacking the "rapist" after the show.

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Oh dear, flashbacks. Timberlake Wertenbaker's The Love of the Nightingale has a rape/mutilation scene that I, and The Stage, thought I did really well. Too well for the rape "victim's" fiance who had to be restrained from attacking the "rapist" after the show.

I wonder how long she stayed engaged to someone who couldn't differentiate reality from fantasy.... :o

It's scary to think there are people like that in the gene pool.

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How about "Warning - no cute child was harmed in the production, and their death was called acting"

"Warning - Events on this stage aren't actually real!"

Oh dear, flashbacks. Timberlake Wertenbaker's The Love of the Nightingale has a rape/mutilation scene that I, and The Stage, thought I did really well. Too well for the rape "victim's" fiance who had to be restrained from attacking the "rapist" after the show.

 

 

I suppose you can only really take that as a compliment for the production!! Powerful and emotive indeed...

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How about "Warning - no cute child was harmed in the production, and their death was called acting"

"Warning - Events on this stage aren't actually real!"

Oh dear, flashbacks. Timberlake Wertenbaker's The Love of the Nightingale has a rape/mutilation scene that I, and The Stage, thought I did really well. Too well for the rape "victim's" fiance who had to be restrained from attacking the "rapist" after the show.

 

Whoa, that's ridiculous! How can you not differentiate between reality and acting?!

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