Laughing In The Theatre.... Heavens Forfend
As a friend recently pointed out, laughing in a theatre can be a less-than-wise move. I’m not talking about laughing during a comedy. I’m talking about getting a fit of the giggles during a drama, during a completely inappropriate moment to titter and squeak. It happens.
Unfortunately, it can also happen when you’re onstage. It’s just as bad, if not worse.
What’s this? Is Casey winding into a theatre anecdote? Why, I think he is!
I was working with Theatre IV, a touring children’s show, throughout Virginia. Hands down, one of the best experiences I’ve had as an actor. (Getting a steady paycheck out of acting didn’t hurt too badly either.) We were doing The True Story of Pocahontas, and it was a pretty serious show. I played John Smith, and it was a lot of work. In one of the first scenes, Pocahontas brings John before her poppa, Chief Powhatan. Smith’s life is in danger and smooth negotiating is required. I have this problem where I smile in uncomfortable situations, and being put on my knees to get my head cut off is a mite uncomfy.
Got it under control for the most part.
Then there was that one school. We did the show three times that day, twice at the same school. First time went fine, for 2nd through 5th grades. They paid attention, they behaved, a good time was had by all. Then we did the show for Preschoolers through 1st grade. Surprisingly, the attention span of the average 4 year old? Not so long. Kids were tweeting, whistling like birds, stuff like that.
We lost it.
There were five of us in the cast, and this was the only time in the show that we were all on stage at the same time. One by one, all five of us just lost it. We got the giggles, in a one-time horror story of uncontrollable laughter. All five of us had turned around, our backs to the audiences, trying to regain composure. It took a bit for us to get it back in hand. Armand, my co-star, who had justifiably complained a few times that I smiled at the wrong times, had tears streaming down his face, he was laughing so hard. We were just gone.
It wasn’t right. It wasn’t exactly professional. There was nothing all that funny about the play or the situation; and for the life of us, we couldn’t stop laughing for a full minute. It was beautiful.
It happens, Leta. It happens.
Unfortunately, it can also happen when you’re onstage. It’s just as bad, if not worse.
What’s this? Is Casey winding into a theatre anecdote? Why, I think he is!
I was working with Theatre IV, a touring children’s show, throughout Virginia. Hands down, one of the best experiences I’ve had as an actor. (Getting a steady paycheck out of acting didn’t hurt too badly either.) We were doing The True Story of Pocahontas, and it was a pretty serious show. I played John Smith, and it was a lot of work. In one of the first scenes, Pocahontas brings John before her poppa, Chief Powhatan. Smith’s life is in danger and smooth negotiating is required. I have this problem where I smile in uncomfortable situations, and being put on my knees to get my head cut off is a mite uncomfy.
Got it under control for the most part.
Then there was that one school. We did the show three times that day, twice at the same school. First time went fine, for 2nd through 5th grades. They paid attention, they behaved, a good time was had by all. Then we did the show for Preschoolers through 1st grade. Surprisingly, the attention span of the average 4 year old? Not so long. Kids were tweeting, whistling like birds, stuff like that.
We lost it.
There were five of us in the cast, and this was the only time in the show that we were all on stage at the same time. One by one, all five of us just lost it. We got the giggles, in a one-time horror story of uncontrollable laughter. All five of us had turned around, our backs to the audiences, trying to regain composure. It took a bit for us to get it back in hand. Armand, my co-star, who had justifiably complained a few times that I smiled at the wrong times, had tears streaming down his face, he was laughing so hard. We were just gone.
It wasn’t right. It wasn’t exactly professional. There was nothing all that funny about the play or the situation; and for the life of us, we couldn’t stop laughing for a full minute. It was beautiful.
It happens, Leta. It happens.
posted by Casey Jones @ 1/15/2005 11:12:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home