I built this effect for the upcoming Broadway production of Into the Woods, starring Vanessa Williams. It's a simple mechanical effect in which a pair of fake wolf's feet tilt to the side a flop forward when the Wolf is killed by the Baker. Below you can see still images of the effect. During the show, the bed is covered by a quilt that goes from the fake feet to the real Wolf at the head of the bed. The Grandmother and Little Red are underneath the sheet, giving the illusion that the Wolf has eaten them and they are in his stomach. The Grandmother operates the effect from underneath the quilt when the Baker stabs the Wolf.

To see a short quicktime video of the effect, click here.

Move your mouse over the image below to see a diagram of the mechanism.

Move your mouse over the image below to see the mechanism in its released position.

This effect is going to be incorporated into Rapunzel's wig. When the Witch gets angry with Rapunzel, she makes some sort of magic gesture and causes her braid to fall off. The actress playing Rapunzel will simultaneously trigger the handheld CO2 cartridge device, causing a burst of air to go through a system of surgical tubing, causing two special effects to occur; a burst of talcum powder will puff out over her head, giving the illusion of smoke, and the braid drop mechanism will drop the braid from the back of her head.

As you can see in the picture below, Rapunzel's braid will be attached to the "Braid Hardware". When the CO2 cartridge is triggered, the air cylinder piston slides to the left, releasing the braid hardware and letting it fall freely to the floor. The actresses' wig will completely cover the mechanism so that it will not be seen by the audience.