CFX • PO Box 2395 • Tempe, AZ • 85280-2395

(480) 227-7384 • crstarr@cfxaz.com

"THE PILLOWMAN"

This is a Martin McDonagh play, very dark, yet quite humorous at times - the first of two of his plays that I have worked on. This project required a person to get shot in the head, live, on-stage - this was the first time this effect had been done live. At all of the other venues, including Broadway, a prosthetic was attached under the hood which the actor would press to his face. After the shot was fired the actor would remove the hood, allowing the audience to see the aftermath. Incidentally, the man with the gun never held it to the actor's bare head as shown in the first publicity photo - the actor being shot already had the hood on before the gun was aimed.

In this production the director wanted the audience to actually witness the execution. The challenge was the hood containing the pyrotechnics had to be on-set for nearly 90 minutes before being used, and the actor had to be freely walking around the set for the same amount of time. In order to pull this off in a safe manner, a digitally secure remote control system was used to fire the hit. The actor wore the receiver during the entire second half of the show, and the charge remained in the hood - the two were connected by the other detective participating in the execution.

I took pride in making a unique connection device which kept the hit in shunt up to the instant it was connected to the firing system worn by the actor - and that system kept the hit in shunt until the instant it was fired remotely by me.

A very cool effect, with a profound impact on the audience.