JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
STAGE EFFECTS ELBERT C. WEAVER Phillips Academy, Andover. Massachusetts
Among the chores to which a laboratory falls heir is that of securing stage effects. Recently a production of "Macbeth" needed a realistic cauldron to boil and bubble (Act IV, Scene 1). A paint pot was placed within a large black kettle. Water and about pound of solid carbon dioxide were placed in the paint pot. The witches stirred the mixture by means of a suitable paddle and blew cautiously over the cauldron, producing thereby a convincing stage effect without discomfort to actors or audience. The cauldron was prepared just in advance of the scene.
In the same scene the text calls for four apparitions t o appear within the cave. These apparitions were cut from '/a-inch Plexiglas with a 45-degree beveled edge and arranged to throw light toward the audience when illuminated from beneath. Lines on the apparition were scribed by means of a countersink rotating in a drill-press chuck. The hazy outline of the apparition was obtained by hanging a gauze drape over the Plexiglas figures. I n this manner the ancient drama was enhanced by applications of modern chemistry.
