I want to do a disappearing act at the end of a performance I'm doing on July 4th. The desired effect of the trick is that I somehow disappear from the stage. What are the easiest/least expensive methods that I could feasibly do, without anything like trapdoors in the stage?

The stage is elevated off the ground a few feet, and it 's closed off from the sides. There are no curtains, or ways that I can escape the stage save for some obvious staircases on the sides.

Here is the most practical idea I've come up with: a cardboard gravestone, with a trick to it. The red ball represents me. Pardon my use of MS Paint.


Anyone else have ideas for disappearing tricks?

Smoke bomb!

If you can't use a trapdoor, you're going to have to be creative with your props in such a way that they allow you to hide behind them. So it becomes a question of making a good prop that can distract the audience. Botboy3000 might be on to something. Your gravestone idea would be fine and you could pair it with smoking dry ice just to give it a different effect.

Hm, smoking dry ice...that might be a good idea, if I could find some. Especially if I end up using the same gimmick for the school talent show.

Oh, and the stage is outside, and the show is at around 2:30 PM. Forgot to mention that.

UPDATE: The gravestone (and, really, most props that I'd have to build myself) will not work. Duct tape doesn't stay on in the sun, apparently. As such, either I need another already-almost-made trick, I'd need to not use a prop, or I'd have to scrap the disappearing act altogether.

Last chance!