rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft

On Feb 8, 6:30=A0am, Bob Nixon <...@> wrote:
> Hi all
> Like to pick your experienced brains
> I am an Am-dram SM and we are in the UK doing "Absurd Person Singular
> Alan Ayckbourn " =A0There is a point in the play when the female character=

> is constantly trying to sincerely commit suicide by various means other
> characters mis-read her actions as her struggling to do something
> One action is to climb on the table with a rope (washing line) to attach
> the rope to the light flex in order to hang herself, to accomplish this

You might consider a 12 VDCpower supply offstage (not an electronic
one, get one with a transformer) which could run off the dimmer
circuit with pull-out pins into a socket in the ceiling (or the flies
depending on the set design). Twelve volts DC won't hurt anybody
(safety), the transformer isolates and protects the dimmer, the socket
makes it repeatable, the pins make it look like a torn wire end.
Whenever possible remove the actor as far as possible from mains
voltages because they WILL find a way to hurt themselves.
HTH
Lloyd