Well, I must admit I'm stumped...

We're prepping for a production of "A Tale of Cinderella," which is a completely different show from the Disney and Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals. The director would like the fairy godmother to disappear in a poof of smoke a couple of times. However, as I pointed out and everyone concurred, it does not want to look like a magic trick; it wants to look like she can really do it within the context of her character and the story.

We don't have a trap door, and a "cabinet" is out. I also pointed out that a poof of smoke big enough to totally hide her would be one heckuva poof of smoke and call attention to itself instead of keeping it on her. The blocking calls for her to be next to a "building" when she vanishes, so that's a place to start.

We do have backup plans, but I did want to see if anyone here has ever done such a thing.

Thanks much.