[SML] Ideas for break-away mug

[Steve Boone]

Greenware makes a peculiar, quiet dull snap sound when it breaks.  If left uncoated it will even easily (well, easy for me) break in your hand if the thickness isn't excessive.  It will also absorb water, and leave clay on the actor's hand.  Also, greenware has more weight than the plastic version you're talking about, so if it's being wacked against an actor's head I wouldn't recommend it at all.  But if the greenware is being smacked against a bar top, it would work well even though it will probably leave a white dusty mess.  
I've also gone with bisque (a single fired clay body) for smacking against bar tops and it was a lot nicer.  It makes a clinkier sound (but still not like real china), breaks into fewer pieces, and doesn't leave white stuff on the actor's hand.

Bisque holds water for a short amount of time.  Greenware gets wet throughout and starts to soften.

Paint the pieces with watercolor or thinned acrylic and you're golden.  Real paint tends to create an eggshell that doesn't like to break as easily. 

I've invariably found local pottery places that do mold work to be very helpful and happy to please.  If you go with bisque, the only catch is they will need some lead time to work it into their kiln time for firing.  Or, if you buy three dozen of them, they may fire the kiln just for you.

-just tryin' to help,
Steve

    Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:57:51 -0700
    From: Steven Hood <shood_td at yahoo.com>
    To: <jdunfee12 at yahoo.com>, Stagecraft Mailing List
    	<stagecraft at theatrical.net>
    Subject: Re: [SML] Ideas for break-away mug
    Message-ID:
    	<16ca7984918.27f3.6f7d1c9102b81228b121511c9b3868d0 at yahoo.com>
    Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; Format="flowed"
    
    I don't recall if greenware breaks as loudly as fired ceramic... glazes are 
    another issue... as smooth as they usually are, you may have to build up a 
    surface texture to hide seams if you tie-break. Pat Kight probably has done 
    this many times...
    Things to ponder...
    Steven R Hood