Theater Cheats, practices and tricks are utilized by cast and crew in most productions. From fake food, drink, to fake punches, fake hangings, fake cigarettes, and even to fake stances where you are ‘cheating out.’ Companies and production crew will use tried and true, old and new cheats and tricks of the trade to make their show a smashing success.
Cheating On Stage By Manoeuvring the Body Towards the Audience
Cheating out in theater
Acting within say a drama for example includes various positions of the body portrayed in certain positions. With the stage in mind the actor needs to find the best position for the audience’s view. Cheating out utilizes a number of body indications such as using a particular leg upstage and a hand unnaturally in front picking up a prop.
We can also cheat using props, set and staging itself for the audiences best view.
The director will decide whether to use or instruct their actors to utlize a particular leg or hand upstage so as not to block the audience from seeing the ‘action’ on stage. Sometimes actors need to portray certain actions and nuances, which can get lost if their bodies are blocking the audience’s view. However this isn’t always the case. Some directors are happy with a more naturalised style rather than deliberate positioning.
For example, during a combat fighting scene using the downstage centre part of the stage, a actor fighting with a sword could be directed to use his or her right hand and upstage right leg out front, and their left leg slightly positioned backwards. This opens up the actor to the audience and they are more likely to feel and see all the action.
There is a caveat, more modern direction allows the natural flow which could mean the downstage leg would be forward and the upstage leg would be positioned back. However,it is dependent on the director at hand, the action on stage, what business is taking place, and the intentions of the characters to forward the play.
Instances where you Might Need to Cheat Out On Stage
-Drinking a glass of water, you would use your upstage arm to drink.
(check out this post to help you learn to use props)
-Lighting a cigarette, you would turn slightly towards the audience because you’re using both hands, which would normally block out a whole section of the audience if acting naturally.
-Writing in a book, you would use your upstage arm and hand to write with even if you’re the opposite handed naturally. (As an actor you are expected to make it all look natural).
-When two actors are seated at a table, both actors could be positioned sitting front on to the audience. Or both could be seated at either end of the table with a slight shift towards the audience.
-When grabbing a prop or item from another actor. You would use the upstage hand.
-When two actors are standing speaking with each other, you’d want them to turn slightly on an angle rather (towards the audience) than be in full ‘profile.’ For an example see this video.
Using Mirrors To Cheat in Theater
Sometimes a mirror would be placed on stage with a slight angle towards the audience. The actor would have to either cheat so that the audience can see them adjust a costume item or admire themselves. Their back would be to the audience on an angle and the mirror shows them what he or she is doing.
Or, the mirror could itself be cheated by being placed with the mirror side facing upstage. This would give the audience a clear view of the actor.
Using Props to Cheat an Action
Okay, so we know a lot of cheating happens in the theater and on screen. And of course in theater the suspension of disbelief from and audience’s point of view is strong.
When actors drink on a play or production, they often drink wine, beer, coffee or tea. Often in theater, instead of using ‘real’ alcohol the stage manager and or prop master would pour a cold pot of tea into a wine bottle. Another trick for beer is to use Gingerbeer. For bourbon, cold coffee might be the go or flat coke.
How to act drunk which is a skill for those who are talented.
As a stage manager for certain productions, I’ve had to source many sodas or we call fizzy drink in our shows. L &P is a New Zealand brand which we’ve used a lot for wine and tea. We did have to make sure it is flat and that the drink is changed every use for health and safety.
Sometimes it is a requirement for the actors to drink alcohol or use a glass of some kind. Its great to use a good plastic ‘look a like’ glass props for use.
you can find example plastic glass lookalike glasses which I have used on stage as actual glasses, here from Amazon.
If a character is going to throw one around, you’d use a plastic one due to the health and safe issues as well as the clean up hassles. We wouldn’t want an actor to get cut from a broken one or one accidentally thrown at them.
Realistic looking wine, tumblers and tall unbreakable or smashproof glasses are a must have in a show, especially with students who are learning the ropes, also in amateur productions and shows who would benefit with the hassle free style of the plastic glasses.
Below are some excellent plastic but glass (tridant) looking props to use in your production. Often you’ll have to go hunting for great examples of glass looking plastic props. I have found some great examples here and I would use these for a show in a heartbeat.
The following glasses are made with Tritan, which is hard clear plastic. The following products are an Affiliate with Amazon.
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Smoking on Stage is also Cheated
So it’s interesting when sitting in the audience of a play and an actor gets out a cigarette, lights it and starts smoking. There is a tangible smoke which emits from the cigarette and all of the sudden you hear ‘coughing in the audience.’ It’s quite comical to hear, because for the vast majority of people the smoke emitted isn’t irritating enough to cause instant coughing unlike fire from a fire for instance.
Many e-cigarettes look and smoke just like a real cigarett. Typically when you draw in, the is a light at the end of the cigarette which lights up. When you draw out, there is a vapour which mimics actual cigarettes, (Vaping).
Many theatres all over the world are unable to use actual cigarettes on stage or the screen set, these e-cigarettes do the trick, due to health issues.
In-fact when filming a period piece such as from World War One in which -many soldiers smoked, actors would need a safe alternative. E-cigarettes and even herbal cigarettes do the trick. (Although the taste of some herbal cigarettes leave a lot to be desired).
Some e-cigarettes do and some donot emit actual nicotine. It is best to see what the ingredients are and ask the actor what they will and will not use.
Some e-cigarettes are recharged using a USB or similar connection.
Check out this video to show what cheap fake cigarettes do. Very thin and realistic and very affordable. These would be great in a short scene or movie. To buy a very cheap fake cigarette here is a great one from Amazon.
Food CHEATS On Stage
When eating or setting a sandwich as a prop, it’s always a good idea to make sure that sandwich is dry. An actor is less likely to choke on a dry sandwich compared with a moist sandwich.
In the Hobbit movie apparently the props maker boiled up some calf tibulas. She cleaned and sterilised them and paint on food colouring to make them look like Hobbit food. Apparently the actors liked the flavours.
When working on the stage if eating a ‘real’ cake, typically it would last two or even three nights and a new one would be bought for the next night. Food needs to be kept relatively fresh for the actors.
When storing food it’s a good idea to place them in bags or containers which are clearly labelled ‘show food.’ You don’t want to have a cast member eat your carefully procured ‘prop’ food, and another actor panicking because they don’t have their item needed for the scene.
In bigger budget films the foods master would ensure that they had a lot more food than needed in a scene in case they needed it multiple shots. This is so that they have enough on hand, especially on long shoots, when the need to fresh food is needed.
Oh and your actor has to take pills as part of the character, they will usually take candy. None can see from a distance what the truly look like.
Stage Combat PROP cheats
Some shows will require knives as part of their properties. Rehearsal they actor may use plastic knives and eventually bring in knives with very blunt edges which retract, or the may use Martial Arts trading knives which are heavy and have rubber blades. These work really well for both the actor and the audience. Again from Amazon Affiliates.
Many film companies and theater productions don’t use retractable knifes anymore due to them sometimes malfunctioning because their retracting timing is sometimes out, which presents possible health and safety issues.
Stage Combat or Fight Scenes
These scenes should be overseen by a stunt official or supervisor. The fights must be rehearsed well and done by physically capable actors. The actors need to be able to rehearse their fights 8-9 times per week to make it look realistic and for safety.
Use a Breakaway Noose for a Hanging Scene
Also if a scene requires a character to be hanged, a great way idea is to use a break away noose should be used and you should NEVER ever use a real noose. The actor should be hung up by a harness where a professional rigger prepares.
Gun Sound Effect Cheats
Obviously in theater we can never use real guns with real bullets, but there are a number of ways to achieve this result.
Gun caps with a Hammer
Two ways in which theater productions use a gun shot are a tried and true method is by using gun caps on a hard surface, and banging it with a hammer or similar instrument.
The cons for this method is that you’ll get a visceral sound which should emulate from backstage which emits from the actors point of view, rather than a sound which is emitted from a speaker sound system, which emits sound all over the theatre.
Sound Effect from the Sound Desk
There are a myriad of gun shot sounds to be found on the internet. I have personally used both the gun cap and hammer as well as the gun shooting sound effect. Typically you’d had this sound effect to the sound engineer and indicate on the script where this is played.
Another tried and true cheat for a gun shot is using an Athletics Starter gun. These are relatively safe and bang out a shot sound usually perfect for most hand guns.
Pros is that the sound effect can be controlled from a desk and you can get the correct sound for the right gun.
Cons, for instance, In a Musical production I stage managed, the sound engineer forgot to play the sound at all in a poignant moment where a kead character was shot (West Side Story). So instead of a gun shot where the audience should have felt a sharp jolt, they felt nothing. Everyone had to use their suspension of disbelief. The sound engineer didn’t do it again for the rest of the season.
As these are firearms, these are considered lethal weapons and should be locked away every night. Also it is a good idea to let surrounding businesses or residents know if you’re using firearm sounds. (The police might also want to be informed).
This is a UK guideline for using firearms in a show.
After Thoughts
There are a multitude of ways in which theater and screen productions use cheats throughout the show. Each production has a unique way of problem solving to give the audience a very good experience.
By utilizing the various skills and talents from the backstage crew, staff and specialists, any production can ensure that actor’s staging by cheating out, props with look a like characteristics, to lighting and sounds.
I hope these cheats which I have utlized many times in my career help you in your production, whether it’s for a school, college, community or even professional productions.
