The effects of Beauty and the Beast By Chris Stolz
This is the first volume in Chris Stolz's Theatre Illusions series. This series is meant to provide theatre productions with solutions to those special effects so often called for in the story or script. These can be illusions, special theatre props, transformations and much more. Each ebook in the series focuses on a different popular show. In this first installment, Chris focuses on the magical props and effects for Beauty and the Beast.
Audiences are always prepared to suspend their disbelief. It's when they don't have to that you have something truly special.
Beauty and the Beast is one of the most popular shows out there. It also has a ton of magical effects baked right into the story. Unfortunately, the script doesn't come with explanations of how to pull them off. This leads to most theatre companies having to cut the effects, come up with alternative and usually less impactful effects or hire someone like Chris. What often surprises his clients is just how simple, cost-effective and yet visually stunning some of these effects can be. The methods outlined here have been used in real productions, for actual living and breathing audiences. They are practical, reliable and they look great all the way from row A to the lighting booth.
It's important to note that while these effects have been created with the community production budget in mind, there is nothing here that won't up in a professional production. With simplicity often comes reliability and whether you're doing 8 performances a week or 3, it just has to work.
The following effects have been created for Beauty and the Beast and are outlined in this ebook.
The Floating Enchanted Rose Prop
The Chip Cart
The Enchantresses Fire 1: Fire from Hands
The Enchantresses Fire 2: Flash Staff
Beast Transformation 1: Mock Levitation
Beast Transformation 2: Shadow Morph
Each effect is described first in construction and then in how to perform the effect. All of the major details are provided for each of these original magical creations for Beauty and the Beast.
