# Ask the technical theatre guy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-technical-theatre-guy/255470>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 16, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-technical-theatre-guy/255470 "2004-07-16T19:36:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-technical-theatre-guy/255470/21 "2004-07-20T17:18:16Z")

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So I’m sort of writing this play and one of the characters happens to be a ghost.

I’m thinking about the following ghost effects. Please suggest how it could be done, how it could be done better/cheeper. If this play ever sees a stage it would be an off-off broadway house with very little space or budget.  
Ghost in the Mirror  
I think it should be fairly simple to have a mirror that when a light is on behind the mirror you can see through the glass. Have a ‘ghost’ there.

Moving items.  
Items can be on strings and pushed with rods fairly simply. However I would like to make the pointer on a Ouija board move by itself. Any ideas? Also any ideas on you you make something levitate. Levitate and then drop.  
Ghost in the Wall  
I think if there were a flat made with some sort of elastic material a person could simply press their face into the wall from behind. The audience sees the wall streach into a face. Possible? What type of fabric?  
Ghost in window.  
Would it be possible to project an image on a window pane. Like say a slide. Or a digital projector shooting an image on the glass. Do you think that would be visible from the house? How would I have to light that to make it work?  
Thanks

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