How can I make a pumpkin head fly across the stage?

Question

I'm a theatre director and I'm looking for ideas on how to make the Headless Horseman's head (a plastic pumpkin) fly across the stage without careening wildly into my actors or the audience. The distance to travel is about fourty feet and I'm considering some sort of rig using monofilament (fishing line to the rest of us). If you have an idea, let me know! I've tried the basic pendulum idea, and it really doesn't look too hot to me.

Answer 1

I am really against mono-filament, lol.

It's stretchy and bouncy and not consistent.

At minimum use some tie line -- it's cheap, in the range of 3000' for a hundred dollars, you can buy it black too.

Another option is aircraft cable, you can get some very very thin wire to use. For the production just dip a sponge in some black paint and run it up the wires -- then throw it away after the show.

The name of the game is always -- control.
Have your actors right on the mark for the trick so the flying pumpkin will always be the same ..... as envisioned by you, the director.

Someone mentioned adding weight to the pumpkin, I think that's a great idea. If you are using tie line, then drill through the plastic and make a secure knot on the inside, you might even add a washer to spread the load.

I know it's a light - weight gag, but still -- every effort made to reduce the weakest link will help you and your performers be able to do the job with confidence.

Answer 2

What you need is a curtain traveller (i.e the sliders that most curtains are on - but you only need one slider). Rig the traveller into the grid and run the right amount of fishing line (i.e 30' from head height to grid + 40' of travel + 10' slack). You can either have the head preset attached to the line with enough slack to allow movement on stage, or find a way to attach the head to a hanging wire during the scene. On the go for the effect, have your crew pull the line from offstage. The head will move with the traveller, and zoom! You have your effect.

Of course, make sure you weight the pumpkin appropriately. A light plastic pumpkin will careen wildly on stage. A two to five pound weight should give it the right movement.

Answer 3

If your stage has a cat walk you can have a person walk the cat walk holding the mono filament line..
If it does not then you could use two pulleys (one at each end) and have someone move the line from one end or the other.

The second one requires you have this up high enough to not have your actors running into the line. (or having it set back or forward enough to keep it out of their way. ... possibly employ forced perspective by having the one that goes flying across the stage be larger if it is farther back ..)
There is also one other option that would require a clear path and lighting effects. You could have the lights go off but have the plastic pumpkin lit up, and have someone in stage blackout clothes walk it across.

Answer 4

Tie the pumpkin head on a rope to the celling perhaps..

Answer 5

clear fishing line will work the best .

Answer 6

catapult

Answer 7

You throw it... hard