Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Techie flubs

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MoonlightFlame
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Topic: Techie flubs
Posted: 7/26/05 at 2:48pm

Ok, here is kind of a random topic for all you techies out there...

I had kind of an..."off" performance this sunday, forgetting minor things that are actually big...

so, what I am looking for are techie flub stories....?

I am Stage Managing Laughing Wild and the stage is set until the 2nd act. All I have to do before that is open a curtain...well I forgot to put out a podium with crystals that one of my actors uses during his monologue....and since I have never had anything happen, I kinda freaked out. The director AND light tech (who are husband and wife) came backstage after I explain the problem on our mics...So with no other way around it they had me set up the podium and walk it out onstage during the scene...Wow, I felt stupid... The good thing, is that the camera taping the show completly missed me and the actor didn't even notice I had come on stage let alone brought his missing prop with me...although I think he would have been a bit suprised to get to those lines and realize his props weren't there....

And then my director said, "Well, we told you we'd eventually get you onstage."

Sooo, any other techies out there want to share?

Ashlie

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 7/26/05 at 10:18pm

I"m not a techie - but I was done in by one LOL.

During our production of "I Hate Hamlet," the prop mistress did
not set my sword before curtain.

Just at the end of Act I, for the big choreographed sword fight
which was up and down a staircase, over the furniture and
across a balcony, I went to grab my weapon and - nothing.

I wasn't sure what to do (besides be extremely angry and
embarrassed) - but the music cue had happened and
something had to happen. So I strode over to a large floral
arrangement and took out a long stemmed rose and
brandished it. Unfortunately, I then had to say, "this is why
actors act. We're allowed to do this sort of thing." I was
humiliated. But it brought down the house. We did the entire
end of the play, dueling with sword vs. american beauty. We
got a huge - really huge - applause at the end.

I wasn't even able to pull a tantrum - the second the curtain
came down, the prop mistress was all over me, sobbing,
apologizing and begging forgiveness. It's hard to stay ticked off.
LOL

It never happened again.

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Kathy S
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Posted: 7/27/05 at 12:26am

...which is why, believe, if at all possible, actors should set their own props...

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Unclepeter
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Posted: 7/27/05 at 12:31am

Absolutely,

In our group, it is expected that, prior to leaving the theatre following a performance, all props will be set for the next show...and if we don't, our backstage manager will make life miserable...it works!

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Unclepeter
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Posted: 7/27/05 at 12:35am

Continuing on...the "we" in my last post means the actors!! It is our responsibility to have our props ready when we need them. After all, how many of us would wait until we entered the dressing room to make sure our costume is ready. In reality, props are a part of the costume...

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 7/27/05 at 6:53am

I agree - but I've worked with several companies that had very
strict lines which actors don't step over. They don't mess with
props except when used on stage, they don't repair their own
costumes, etc., they don't nail onto set pieces, etc. Some of
these folks can get very proprietory about their little
realms...and good ones are hard to come by ... sooooooo....
LOL

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Poppie
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Posted: 7/27/05 at 11:50am

I must say that, as a stage manager, I would still check everyone's props before the show. I would also understand if an actor wanted to check behind me. I always feel better knowing that everything is where it should be and where it was the night before. I have known actors who will try to set the prop in a different place each time.

I do have a tech story... During a performance of Nunsense II, a birdcage is supposed to fall on Amnesia's head. It had worked every other time before on cue, and on target. This one performance, I pulled the cord to release it, and nothing happened. The show went on, and the audience never knew the difference. I spent the rest of the show worried that the bird cage was going to come crashing down randomly during the show.

If we could read minds, we wouldn't need headsets.

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jtonner
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Posted: 7/27/05 at 12:06pm

When I worked at Digital Equipment, we had an extensive group of chat rooms. One of my favorites was "Theatre Disasters". I have used some of these stories for years. (Fortunately these were not involving my group.)

A group was doing a play set in the 1700's. An actress was on stage and her next thing to do was pull a cord and ring the bell for her servant. She rang the bell, and then stood and waited. Of course, she couldn't look at her watch, make a phone call, or anything to use up some time. She pulled the cord and rang the bell again, and again nothing.

About this time the Stage Manager realizes what is going on and runs down the stairs to get the actor that should be on stage. We are now 45 seconds to a minute into this. As the stage manager runs down one set of stairs, the actor is taking his time going up the other set. The actress rings the bell again and the servant walks out as if nothing has happened, and says, "You rang madam?"

She replied (and I would have loved to have been there for this one), "No, I was tolling, I thought you were dead."

Another very memorable flub happened at the University of Cincinnati when they installed their first computer light board. As we tech people are sometimes want to do with a new toy, they programmed in over 1000 cues for an opera they were presenting. All the rehearsals went well, but opening night was different. When the punched the first cue, all 1000 went off in less than a minute and then shut down all the lights in the auditorium, including the house lights.

Have a good laugh at these two.

John

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Shatcher
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Posted: 7/27/05 at 2:43pm

One summer I was doing a summer stock production of Noises Off. during the crazy 3rd act one actor broke a door off its hinges. the door crashed to the floor. the actor then put his foot through it while making his entrance. the audience loved it so much the director asked me if I could make this happen every night. Turns out the reason the actor broke the door off in the first place was because one of the change over crew had screwed the door shut because it kept flying open while he was tring to move the truck the door was on. the techie said he did this every show just forgot to remove the screw this time.. The end result was so funny we bought 5 more hollow core doors for the rest of the run and let the cast run amok with the door in question. (this was the Kitchen door)

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Kathy S
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Posted: 7/28/05 at 1:19am

My husband was in The Underpants a few weeks ago, playing Cohen the love-smitten Barber. There is a scene where he kisses the woman and then faints onto a fainting couch -- it was an antique. One night it broke and brought down the house as well. Bless his heart, it didn't phase him...he just lied there on the broken couch waiting for his next cue...the audience thought it was planned.

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Author	Message
MoonlightFlame Player Joined: 7/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 26	Topic: Techie flubs Posted: 7/26/05 at 2:48pm
	Ok, here is kind of a random topic for all you techies out there... I had kind of an..."off" performance this sunday, forgetting minor things that are actually big... so, what I am looking for are techie flub stories....? I am Stage Managing Laughing Wild and the stage is set until the 2nd act. All I have to do before that is open a curtain...well I forgot to put out a podium with crystals that one of my actors uses during his monologue....and since I have never had anything happen, I kinda freaked out. The director AND light tech (who are husband and wife) came backstage after I explain the problem on our mics...So with no other way around it they had me set up the podium and walk it out onstage during the scene...Wow, I felt stupid... The good thing, is that the camera taping the show completly missed me and the actor didn't even notice I had come on stage let alone brought his missing prop with me...although I think he would have been a bit suprised to get to those lines and realize his props weren't there.... And then my director said, "Well, we told you we'd eventually get you onstage." Sooo, any other techies out there want to share? Ashlie

	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 7/26/05 at 10:18pm
	I"m not a techie - but I was done in by one LOL. During our production of "I Hate Hamlet," the prop mistress did not set my sword before curtain. Just at the end of Act I, for the big choreographed sword fight which was up and down a staircase, over the furniture and across a balcony, I went to grab my weapon and - nothing. I wasn't sure what to do (besides be extremely angry and embarrassed) - but the music cue had happened and something had to happen. So I strode over to a large floral arrangement and took out a long stemmed rose and brandished it. Unfortunately, I then had to say, "this is why actors act. We're allowed to do this sort of thing." I was humiliated. But it brought down the house. We did the entire end of the play, dueling with sword vs. american beauty. We got a huge - really huge - applause at the end. I wasn't even able to pull a tantrum - the second the curtain came down, the prop mistress was all over me, sobbing, apologizing and begging forgiveness. It's hard to stay ticked off. LOL It never happened again.
	IP Logged

Kathy S Celebrity Joined: 8/21/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 303	Posted: 7/27/05 at 12:26am
	...which is why, believe, if at all possible, actors should set their own props...
	IP Logged

Unclepeter Lead Joined: 7/26/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 37	Posted: 7/27/05 at 12:31am
	Absolutely, In our group, it is expected that, prior to leaving the theatre following a performance, all props will be set for the next show...and if we don't, our backstage manager will make life miserable...it works!
	IP Logged

Unclepeter Lead Joined: 7/26/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 37	Posted: 7/27/05 at 12:35am
	Continuing on...the "we" in my last post means the actors!! It is our responsibility to have our props ready when we need them. After all, how many of us would wait until we entered the dressing room to make sure our costume is ready. In reality, props are a part of the costume...
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 7/27/05 at 6:53am
	I agree - but I've worked with several companies that had very strict lines which actors don't step over. They don't mess with props except when used on stage, they don't repair their own costumes, etc., they don't nail onto set pieces, etc. Some of these folks can get very proprietory about their little realms...and good ones are hard to come by ... sooooooo.... LOL
	IP Logged

Poppie Player Joined: 3/18/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 25	Posted: 7/27/05 at 11:50am
	I must say that, as a stage manager, I would still check everyone's props before the show. I would also understand if an actor wanted to check behind me. I always feel better knowing that everything is where it should be and where it was the night before. I have known actors who will try to set the prop in a different place each time. I do have a tech story... During a performance of Nunsense II, a birdcage is supposed to fall on Amnesia's head. It had worked every other time before on cue, and on target. This one performance, I pulled the cord to release it, and nothing happened. The show went on, and the audience never knew the difference. I spent the rest of the show worried that the bird cage was going to come crashing down randomly during the show.
	If we could read minds, we wouldn't need headsets.
	IP Logged

jtonner Star Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 56	Posted: 7/27/05 at 12:06pm
	When I worked at Digital Equipment, we had an extensive group of chat rooms. One of my favorites was "Theatre Disasters". I have used some of these stories for years. (Fortunately these were not involving my group.) A group was doing a play set in the 1700's. An actress was on stage and her next thing to do was pull a cord and ring the bell for her servant. She rang the bell, and then stood and waited. Of course, she couldn't look at her watch, make a phone call, or anything to use up some time. She pulled the cord and rang the bell again, and again nothing. About this time the Stage Manager realizes what is going on and runs down the stairs to get the actor that should be on stage. We are now 45 seconds to a minute into this. As the stage manager runs down one set of stairs, the actor is taking his time going up the other set. The actress rings the bell again and the servant walks out as if nothing has happened, and says, "You rang madam?" She replied (and I would have loved to have been there for this one), "No, I was tolling, I thought you were dead." Another very memorable flub happened at the University of Cincinnati when they installed their first computer light board. As we tech people are sometimes want to do with a new toy, they programmed in over 1000 cues for an opera they were presenting. All the rehearsals went well, but opening night was different. When the punched the first cue, all 1000 went off in less than a minute and then shut down all the lights in the auditorium, including the house lights. Have a good laugh at these two. John
	John
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Shatcher Celebrity Joined: 2/21/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 251	Posted: 7/27/05 at 2:43pm
	One summer I was doing a summer stock production of Noises Off. during the crazy 3rd act one actor broke a door off its hinges. the door crashed to the floor. the actor then put his foot through it while making his entrance. the audience loved it so much the director asked me if I could make this happen every night. Turns out the reason the actor broke the door off in the first place was because one of the change over crew had screwed the door shut because it kept flying open while he was tring to move the truck the door was on. the techie said he did this every show just forgot to remove the screw this time.. The end result was so funny we bought 5 more hollow core doors for the rest of the run and let the cast run amok with the door in question. (this was the Kitchen door)
	IP Logged

Kathy S Celebrity Joined: 8/21/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 303	Posted: 7/28/05 at 1:19am
	My husband was in The Underpants a few weeks ago, playing Cohen the love-smitten Barber. There is a scene where he kisses the woman and then faints onto a fainting couch -- it was an antique. One night it broke and brought down the house as well. Bless his heart, it didn't phase him...he just lied there on the broken couch waiting for his next cue...the audience thought it was planned.
	IP Logged

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