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Wierdest or Most Difficult Thing You Had To Do Onstage

Theatrical Anecdotes
Related MTI Shows: Thoroughly Modern Millie JR. 
Elizabeth Kantor:

Mine was probably between hiding in a laundry cart with my male co-star (who happened to be three years my senior (I was 13)), kissing the same person, or sing the song Let's Hear It for the Boy (which is sung mostly in the b-e range--BELTING! and required me to hold out a c sharp for 24 counts (20% percent longer than Miss Laura Bell Bundy (I was 13)))   Please share all of your theatrical mishaps, moments, and trials!

(960 days ago)
Drew Cohen:

When I went to a Club Med years ago, the talent show that they put on was a sketch of the famous Barry Manilow song "Copacabana."  Since I was cast as the narrator/singer, I had to dress up in a white disco outfit (think Saturday Night Fever) and lip-synch the song.  Also, to look more like Manilow, they blow-dried my hair to look very puffy and tall.  I wore sunglasses thinking somehow that would mask my embarrassment, and we ended up winning the contest, so maybe it was worth it....maybe!

(954 days ago)
Elizabeth Kantor:

Hahahahaha.  That sounds like it was a lot of fun! 

(954 days ago)
Rodney Robbins:

My director insisted I wear tights to play the Robber in "The Robber Bridegroom." When he saw me in them, he took one look and said, "No, I guess not."

Here's another one:

I was embarrassed to watch two friends of mine, a young man and young woman who were best buds, as they tried to do a romantic scene that ended in a kiss. They couldn't get through it and couldn't do the kiss. It was Very awkward. But hey, they picked the scene!

(949 days ago)
Drew Cohen:

Rodney, Your post reminded me of something that is unfortunately memorable.  In my 5th Grade Play--a musical called LodeStone, written by our drama teacher-I played a character called a Mossywerp which was essentially an astroturf-covered fantasy creature (there were four of us and none of us had his/her own character name--we were just the Mossywerps).  I distinctly remember having to go with my mother to the store to buy a pair of tights that we would dye green for my costume.  The embarrassing part was that the old guy in the store couldn't get it through his head that the tights were for me (a boy) and kept saying, "So, what size does your daughter need?" or "These should fit her fine."  It was as if he was doing it intentionally and my mother could hardly contain her laughter, seeing how annoyed I was getting (since she already know that I was not thrilled about wearing the tights at all!).  Anyway, maybe not that interesting, but it certainly was therapeutic for me to write this.  Send me a bill for your inadvertent counseling!

(949 days ago)
kirsty mcdonald:

Oh I've done loads!! When I played a teabag for a production of The Gingerbread Man, interesting costume! Also,an awkward love scene in 'A Slice of Saturday NIght' which comes right before the song 'Premature', being a female Brutus in Julius Caesar, having my dress 'lifted' by flight machinery in some awful play that I can't even remember the name of, and many awful physical theatre type scenarios as a cat or slug or other such creature. The things we do on stage!!

(921 days ago)
Elizabeth Kantor:

Now that I am playing Joanne in Rent I've done loads more stuff: oy vey.  Exactly, Kristy.  I was very rash in telling my director I would do anything onstage.  While I will do anything short of undressing, the things I have to do are quite awkward and strange.

(921 days ago)
George Simons:

So far, nothing like anything I've read, but I did knock on the wodden table next to me after I thought that.

(862 days ago)
Sam Leake Ballard:

In The Full Monty, I had a scene of a "homoerotic embrace" with another guy...we were wearing nothing but red glittery G-strings. Oh, speaking of The Full Monty, there's that whole getting naked thing that was weird...yeah...

(862 days ago)
Carrie Reynolds:

When I was a senior in high school, our spring play was The Music Man.  Cast as Eulalie McKecknie Shinn, I was excited to play this role!  During the beginning of Act 2, Eulalie performs the Grecian Urn number with the ladies.  Right after I delivered the line "one Grecian Urn, 2 Grecian Urns..." - the power went out!  There was a brown out - in the WHOLE theatre (and later we found out, on the entire block!) It came back on around three minutes later, and I went directly into the line, "and a fountain!"  The audience hooted and howled.  It was a nerve wracking couple of minutes there, but turned out to be hilarious.

(859 days ago)
Tori Ayres:

When I was a sophomore in high school, I played Sara in The Actor's Nightmare. If you've ever read the play, Sara has to kiss George. The George in our play was gay. He was also my first kiss. Then (if that's not enough) the Sara from the other cast lost her voice... I'll give you one guess who had to kiss another guy (who also was a total stranger)... and this time? I didn't even know the fella's name!!!

(845 days ago)
Mike DePope:

The most difficult thing I had to do was in a play in college. I had to both burp on que, kiss and strip down to my underware on stage. It was a small thrust stage and I could see every member of the audience. When i got offstage I was also suppose to throw my underware back on stage. I don't embarass easily but when you see your mom in the front row. It is easy to get embarassed. I had learned the year before to always have real underware on under your stage underware. A cast member of mine in Biloxi Blues had his "private" exposed during most of a scene.

(845 days ago)
Zach Grizzle:

The show is Guys and Dolls. It was the scene in which Nicely and Sky meet at the Hot Box. I played Benny. Before this scene happens, someone is supposed to go on stage and set up an unfoldable table. I notice that the scene is about to start, and the table is not in position. Being the enthusiast of the saying "the show MUST go on!", I grabbed the table (which at this point was folded) and ran onstage to set it before the lights came up. Easier said than done. I had unfolded this table plenty of times before, but for some reason, it wouldnt unfold. I was onstage for about 2 minutes, in FULL view of the audience, sturggling determined to get the table unfolded and set for the scene. After about 2 minutes, a man came from the audience and helped me unfold it. When it was set and in place, I thanked the man quietly, and ran offstage. The audience was applauding at this point, because we got the table unfolded. When the lights came up, and the scene start, the actor playing Sky (Sean Newman) cleverly improvised the line "Hey, Nicely, they fixed our table."

(485 days ago)
Christie Jeter:

Junior year, I played Daisy Mae in Lil' Abner.  The costume alone was awkward - it made Daisy Duke look like a Duggar.  The fact that our sadistic director blocked me running and jumping into Abner's arms throughout the piece, made it even more embarrassing.  I learned to love cheer spanks that year! 

I thought mastering the costume was tough until one night during the run, I sliced my bare foot on a piece of plexiglass holding a foot mic. (in the olden days, before wireless, we used to wrangle all types of contraptions in hopes of better sound!) The adrenaline was flowing and I didn't notice my foot was cut so badly.  By intermission, the stage looked like a crime scene - blood everywhere.  I tell that story every time some kid tells me their costume is itchy.

(484 days ago)