Not one. Not a single deck of cards. I knew it!
When I created the Guys and Dolls deck of cards for the Snowline Players production of the play I knew the key to selling them was to have them available for purchase right from the start and right in the lobby. But because of events surrounding decision making (read: not my fault) the decision as to whether to place an order for the decks didn't come until much to late. Typically, I'll be lucky if an order gets shipped within two weeks of being placed. Considering all that is involved in the manufacturing of these things, that doesn't surprise me. If anything, I'm happy that they can complete the order in the time frame specified anyway.
But I knew that if I told people during the play that if they wanted a deck they could order it online and then wait two weeks for it to arrive, that proposition would be a nonstarter. I mean, the whole point of a souvenier deck of cards is that it's bought the way you normally buy impulse items. You buy them right then and there without any planning.
So while lots of people did come to the play and expressed interest in ordering a deck for themselves, no one actually did it. And that's ok. But it is still a missed opportunity that makes me feel bad. We could have raised additional funds for the little production company. Guess I'll have to hope I can get them onboard more quickly next time.
Doc Savage on the other hand is something that I don't have to go through anyone's approval process. This is something that I'm doing for my own enjoyment and that's the sort of project that I love the most. If you haven't had a chance to read any Doc Savage before, I encourage you to do so. They are great, if brief, stories of high adventure and daring. However, the author really needed to have a good editor go over the work before publishing. Yes, the author was under constant demands from a grueling publication schedule but the stories would have been greatly improved with a little more polish. I'm going to apply the polish to a few random stories over the next few days, and I'll post the results here.
Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Guys and Dolls Poker Deck, Published!
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| Snowline Players Guys and Dolls poker deck! |
The Big Jule Dice Bag.
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| Big Jule's "Lucky" Dice |
One tip. I recommend that if there is any chance at all that you will want more than one deck that you buy them all at once. For example, if you think that you might want to give out three decks for family members, than buy them all at once. I've noticed that shipping takes a bite, but only for the first deck. If you buy multiple decks then you save a lot on shipping charges.
When did shipping costs suddenly go through the roof? OK, I'll save that complaining for another post.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Guys and Dolls tech week
This is going to be a very busy weekend!
First things first. Guys and Dolls is getting ready to hit the stage. When I say get ready, I mean it is about 99% of the way there. All we're waiting for at the moment is the keys to the auditorium an directions to the green room. The singing, dancing, blocking and costumes are all in place and now we just need an audience. Of course there are many details that go into a produciton, and some of them just can't be done until the last minute. Stagecraft and lighting are two critical things that come to mind. We know who is playing what role, and the story is something that we can recite in our sleep. But the stage director still needs to know where we're standing on their stage, and decide how to light us.
So in about two minutes, I'm jumping in the car and heading over to put on the costume and go through the ritual which is known as "Tech Week". This is going to be a concensed version of that activity in that it is only comprising 3 days before opening night.
Yeah. This production has been a bit more interesting than most. The leading man quit three weeks before opening night, we've gone through three people for one of the named roles before settling on a nice woman who is doing to do it in drag, and other assorted dramas. Still, it's a great adventure and I enjoy it immensely!
First things first. Guys and Dolls is getting ready to hit the stage. When I say get ready, I mean it is about 99% of the way there. All we're waiting for at the moment is the keys to the auditorium an directions to the green room. The singing, dancing, blocking and costumes are all in place and now we just need an audience. Of course there are many details that go into a produciton, and some of them just can't be done until the last minute. Stagecraft and lighting are two critical things that come to mind. We know who is playing what role, and the story is something that we can recite in our sleep. But the stage director still needs to know where we're standing on their stage, and decide how to light us.
So in about two minutes, I'm jumping in the car and heading over to put on the costume and go through the ritual which is known as "Tech Week". This is going to be a concensed version of that activity in that it is only comprising 3 days before opening night.
Yeah. This production has been a bit more interesting than most. The leading man quit three weeks before opening night, we've gone through three people for one of the named roles before settling on a nice woman who is doing to do it in drag, and other assorted dramas. Still, it's a great adventure and I enjoy it immensely!
Monday, May 26, 2014
Guys and Dolls in the High Desert
I'd heard awhile back that Cheryl was going to be putting on a production of Guys and Dolls for the Snowline Players, and so was semi-prepared when the auditions were announced. I'm specifically saying that I was semi-prepared because as has been happening, I'm auditioning for plays that I'd never heard of before. I'm really beginning to realize what an advantage people have when trying out for roles they're familiar with. It just makes sense. If you are the sort of person who really enjoys theater and musicals there's a good chance that you'll have grown up in their influence. When a play comes along, chances are you've already got the soundtrack on your iPod and have posters of the Broadway production tacked to your wall at home.
Not the case with me. Not by a long shot. Sure, I'm mostly familiar with the NAMES of the plays that we're doing, but that's about as far as it goes. As for actually knowing the plot and storyline, that's another thing altogether. Recognizing the major characters? No. Hasn't happened once. Sure, Pirates of Penzance was something that I could have done in my sleep. But that's going to be the exception for me I'm afraid. Unless there is a sudden great call for Shakespeare to be performed in the High Desert, I'm going to have to content myself with doing research online with YouTube to fill in the gaps of my knowledge.
Not a great solution, but so far it's been working pretty well.
Getting back to Guys and Dolls, I saw the movie online and was ready to go. Yeah, I'd known the showstopping number "Luck Be A Lady", but only enough to hate it. It knew it was Sinatra, which alone should have banished it to the depths of musak. Sinatra doesn't do it for me. Ever. Happily, it appears that Sinatra's rendition of the song came out after the Broadway production so his insipid voice isn't singing the song. I suddenly got more interested in the play than I'd planned.
Lots of singing and dancing later, and I landed the role of Harry the Horse. Hey, I'm happy. This means that I get some stage time and will probably be back stage moving set pieces around during the numbers. It keeps me busy, and that's what I like most of all.
Not the case with me. Not by a long shot. Sure, I'm mostly familiar with the NAMES of the plays that we're doing, but that's about as far as it goes. As for actually knowing the plot and storyline, that's another thing altogether. Recognizing the major characters? No. Hasn't happened once. Sure, Pirates of Penzance was something that I could have done in my sleep. But that's going to be the exception for me I'm afraid. Unless there is a sudden great call for Shakespeare to be performed in the High Desert, I'm going to have to content myself with doing research online with YouTube to fill in the gaps of my knowledge.
Not a great solution, but so far it's been working pretty well.
Getting back to Guys and Dolls, I saw the movie online and was ready to go. Yeah, I'd known the showstopping number "Luck Be A Lady", but only enough to hate it. It knew it was Sinatra, which alone should have banished it to the depths of musak. Sinatra doesn't do it for me. Ever. Happily, it appears that Sinatra's rendition of the song came out after the Broadway production so his insipid voice isn't singing the song. I suddenly got more interested in the play than I'd planned.
Lots of singing and dancing later, and I landed the role of Harry the Horse. Hey, I'm happy. This means that I get some stage time and will probably be back stage moving set pieces around during the numbers. It keeps me busy, and that's what I like most of all.
Guys and Dolls Deck of Cards
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| Guys and Dolls Playing Cards |
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| 9 of Clubs |
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| King of Clubs |
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| Eight of Diamonds |
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| Ace of Diamonds |
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| Seven of Hearts |
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| Joker for Guys and Dolls deck |
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| Ten of Spades |
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| Jack of Spades |
Friday, February 28, 2014
Waiting for RENT
I'm backstage right now waiting for the opening night's performance of RENT to draw to a close. I've got a few moments to spare so I'm giving a quick update here. OK. You know the truth of the story. I've got LOTS of time to spare because RENT is a play that takes forever to end. So I'm free to make this a lengthy update without worrying about missing the final number.
Wow, this play goes on for longer than 525,600 minutes.
I finished my painting for the lobby. VVC did a call for art which specifically requested pieces to be inspired by RENT in some fashion. I couldn't resist this call. After thinking it over for a bit, an image occurred to me which captured my particular take on the production. A fresh canvas and some brush strokes later, and I was done.
I'll post a picture of it here, if I haven't already. It features two cartoonishly middle-class audience members clapping in ecstasy while watching an actor draped in a Gay Pride flag. The actor is performing a song from the musical while standing in a garbage can. The title of this piece is "Refuse Mediocrity". I'm very proud of this piece.
If you are one of the lucky few dozen people who have had no experience with RENT, the setting centers around the antics of a group of New York 'bohemians' complain about how their dysfunctional relationships aren't working out. The play is the epitome of surface-deep emotion. A parade of the mundane. The songs are hastily written dialog purposely mistimed to any attempt of melody. A more capable playwright would have been able to match dialog to music, but failing that was only able to swear that the end result was intentional. I'm not blaming him. We all have to pay our bills somehow. Everyone except the cardboard characters on the stage.
There is a cast party right after tonight's performance, so at least that will be a highlight for this crew's hard work and dedication. But I'm leaving the moment someone launches into a song from the production.
Wow, this play goes on for longer than 525,600 minutes.
I finished my painting for the lobby. VVC did a call for art which specifically requested pieces to be inspired by RENT in some fashion. I couldn't resist this call. After thinking it over for a bit, an image occurred to me which captured my particular take on the production. A fresh canvas and some brush strokes later, and I was done.
I'll post a picture of it here, if I haven't already. It features two cartoonishly middle-class audience members clapping in ecstasy while watching an actor draped in a Gay Pride flag. The actor is performing a song from the musical while standing in a garbage can. The title of this piece is "Refuse Mediocrity". I'm very proud of this piece.
If you are one of the lucky few dozen people who have had no experience with RENT, the setting centers around the antics of a group of New York 'bohemians' complain about how their dysfunctional relationships aren't working out. The play is the epitome of surface-deep emotion. A parade of the mundane. The songs are hastily written dialog purposely mistimed to any attempt of melody. A more capable playwright would have been able to match dialog to music, but failing that was only able to swear that the end result was intentional. I'm not blaming him. We all have to pay our bills somehow. Everyone except the cardboard characters on the stage.
There is a cast party right after tonight's performance, so at least that will be a highlight for this crew's hard work and dedication. But I'm leaving the moment someone launches into a song from the production.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
The Next Play
Just finished up the run of Anne Frank and am jumping into a new role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Holy cow...
Friday, November 9, 2012
It's a Wonderful Life Radio Show
The Snowline Players are hosting a 'radio theater' production of "It's a Wonderful Life" in December, and after a nail-biting audition I got the spot of George! Woot! I really was counting on being the announcer because of my voice, and didn't think that I'd be able to pull off the Jimmy Stewart role but the director has confidence in me and I'm all set to go!
The show is going to be different than theater events that I've been in before. We have a script that we read from the stage. We're going to be clustered around a microphone like radio serials from the 40s were originally taped, but we're also going to be in costume because this takes place in front of an audience. It sounds odd, but it also sounds like lots of fun. The audience is going to be served a fantastic dinner and the cast is the entertainment for the evening. I've watched dinner theater before and loved it, so this is a new twist that promises to be memorable. There are only two shows, and for one I get the announcer and the second I get George. I'm hoping I'll be able to make off with a dinner under my belt by the time this is over!
The show is going to be different than theater events that I've been in before. We have a script that we read from the stage. We're going to be clustered around a microphone like radio serials from the 40s were originally taped, but we're also going to be in costume because this takes place in front of an audience. It sounds odd, but it also sounds like lots of fun. The audience is going to be served a fantastic dinner and the cast is the entertainment for the evening. I've watched dinner theater before and loved it, so this is a new twist that promises to be memorable. There are only two shows, and for one I get the announcer and the second I get George. I'm hoping I'll be able to make off with a dinner under my belt by the time this is over!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Pajama Game Reviews are In!
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| Pajama Game Review |
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Pajama Game
Just the right size to put on a cigarette lighter. It's dark in there, you know.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Final Run of the Pirates of Penzance, Part II
The show is over and I thought it was a fantastic run. There is no doubt that the music directors we had for this performance made the singing exceptional. It helped that we had fantastic orchesteric accompaniment, but the actors were fantastic as well. Our Pirate King knocked it out of the part, and our Mabel was a delight. All in all, I'm very sad that the play is now a thing of the past. I'd have thought that considering the hundreds of times I've heard the music for this G&S play, I could easily do without it for a few years. But there is much more to the play then just music. There are great people doing something they love. And we put on a hell of a performance for the audience.
Also, the VVC theater was about 2/3rds full each night which was wonderful because we had a ton of performances. Again, this is a theater which serves Apple Valley. And, nice thought that local is, I couldn't have imagined it would be able to pack the place continually week after week. Yet we did, and judging by the audience reaction, we showed them a good time.
Now to let my skin recover from all the stage makeup. Since I was a constable for the second act, I decided to grow out a mustache into a bristly soup-catcher. It was fantastic while I was on stage, but for the 99% of my life outside of the theater, it was a hassle. This is the first time I can honestly say that when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror I was taken aback. Gha! I'm sure there are people out there who can pull of the solo mustache look, but I'm not one of them. I'm just as happy to go around clean shaven.
Stage makeup is thick and my skin didn't break out or anything, but it's a close thing. Another week of putting on the Nye stuff and I'd have been buying Noxemia.
I did manage to get my hands on some of the photos from the show, and I'll be putting them up when I get a minute free.
Also, the VVC theater was about 2/3rds full each night which was wonderful because we had a ton of performances. Again, this is a theater which serves Apple Valley. And, nice thought that local is, I couldn't have imagined it would be able to pack the place continually week after week. Yet we did, and judging by the audience reaction, we showed them a good time.
Now to let my skin recover from all the stage makeup. Since I was a constable for the second act, I decided to grow out a mustache into a bristly soup-catcher. It was fantastic while I was on stage, but for the 99% of my life outside of the theater, it was a hassle. This is the first time I can honestly say that when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror I was taken aback. Gha! I'm sure there are people out there who can pull of the solo mustache look, but I'm not one of them. I'm just as happy to go around clean shaven.
Stage makeup is thick and my skin didn't break out or anything, but it's a close thing. Another week of putting on the Nye stuff and I'd have been buying Noxemia.
I did manage to get my hands on some of the photos from the show, and I'll be putting them up when I get a minute free.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Opening Night, Revenge of the Pirates
This is the official opening night for the VVC production of Pirates of Penzance. I really enjoy this play. The music is top notch, but the humor makes every experience new and fresh even if I've heard the 'often - orphan' joke a million times before.
Actually there was something that could have been fantastic about this production of the G&S play which was a bit of a missed opportunity as far as I'm concerned. This is a leap year, and we had rehearsal right in the middle of Feb the 29th. Frederick's Birthday! It would have been natural for us to have gotten together and had a special birthday celebration for Frederick, but for some reason we didn't do anything. Maybe it was because we've been working our tails off getting ready for the opening night and no one had any time free. But either way, I'd have liked to have done something.
Only two more pages to go for the shoe story. Yee Ha! This has been one project which has taken about two more weeks longer than I'd have originally estimates and I've been trying to play catch up ever since.
Actually there was something that could have been fantastic about this production of the G&S play which was a bit of a missed opportunity as far as I'm concerned. This is a leap year, and we had rehearsal right in the middle of Feb the 29th. Frederick's Birthday! It would have been natural for us to have gotten together and had a special birthday celebration for Frederick, but for some reason we didn't do anything. Maybe it was because we've been working our tails off getting ready for the opening night and no one had any time free. But either way, I'd have liked to have done something.
Only two more pages to go for the shoe story. Yee Ha! This has been one project which has taken about two more weeks longer than I'd have originally estimates and I've been trying to play catch up ever since.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Opening Night
Opening night is in progress and we've just survived the first three songs. Yes, the official opening night is tomorrow when paying customers are going to be in attendance for our play, but there are actual people in the chairs in the house and it's making for an interesting night.
For one thing, having the energy from the audience makes this a wonderful experience. As much as anyone will tell you that acting is fun (therefore it's referred to as "play"), there is only so much enjoyment you can get from showing off to each other. Having new faces to perform in front of makes a world of difference, and ups everyone's acting game. Personally, I had a blast and enjoyed the experience, and I still have about 3/4ths of a play to go.
The sword of the pirate king just snapped off at the hilt during the start of the second song (I Am A Pirate King) which was a heartstopping moment but quick thinking between the King and Frederick saved the day.
For one thing, having the energy from the audience makes this a wonderful experience. As much as anyone will tell you that acting is fun (therefore it's referred to as "play"), there is only so much enjoyment you can get from showing off to each other. Having new faces to perform in front of makes a world of difference, and ups everyone's acting game. Personally, I had a blast and enjoyed the experience, and I still have about 3/4ths of a play to go.
The sword of the pirate king just snapped off at the hilt during the start of the second song (I Am A Pirate King) which was a heartstopping moment but quick thinking between the King and Frederick saved the day.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Time Machine
I know that sometime in the next week I'll have five minutes to rub together, but exactly when that is going to happen and where it's going to be coming from.
Between that sentence and this one, 24 hours have passed and I'm right back where I was when I began. In the green room of the VVC production of Pirates, trying to avoid too much chit chat while I'm getting ready to hit the stage. I don't have any problems socializing with folks in a production, in fact it is one of the things which makes being an actor so much fun. But I do need a few minutes alone to ground myself and sometimes it isn't easy. When the energy is high in the back, not getting pulled into a conversation is tricky.
We've got only a few more days before opening night and things are looking like they've come together nicely. The cast sounds very good and as far as I can tell the scenes have a nice, natural life of their own and the story of the Pirates of Penzance is intact and ready to be told. Fingers crossed for a fantastic performance!
Between that sentence and this one, 24 hours have passed and I'm right back where I was when I began. In the green room of the VVC production of Pirates, trying to avoid too much chit chat while I'm getting ready to hit the stage. I don't have any problems socializing with folks in a production, in fact it is one of the things which makes being an actor so much fun. But I do need a few minutes alone to ground myself and sometimes it isn't easy. When the energy is high in the back, not getting pulled into a conversation is tricky.
We've got only a few more days before opening night and things are looking like they've come together nicely. The cast sounds very good and as far as I can tell the scenes have a nice, natural life of their own and the story of the Pirates of Penzance is intact and ready to be told. Fingers crossed for a fantastic performance!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Odd Duck
On the VVC campus today there are a variety of waterfowl which really shouldn't be here. I think that they are here because of a mixture of unseasonable weather (it is late February and is balmy warm), and wind (this is the High Desert after all)
There are coots on the ponds which isn't unusual at all. I can't count the number of times where I've seen there small, dark pod-like bodies scuttling over the choppy surface of the wind blown lake. There are also magpies and blackbirds making a noisy chorus in the trees as well. But most surprisingly are the Canada geese which have planted themselves on the Northern edge of the main lake and are placidly snacking away on the greenery. What on earth are they doing here? They aren't making a sound aside from the crunching of leaves, so I'm missing their hollow honking, but it is so great to see their plump bundles bobbing on the surface of the water. I don't know how long they are going to stay here, and who know where on Earth they think they actually are, but what a treat to see!
I also got the part of Prez for The Pajama Game. Yee Ha!
There are coots on the ponds which isn't unusual at all. I can't count the number of times where I've seen there small, dark pod-like bodies scuttling over the choppy surface of the wind blown lake. There are also magpies and blackbirds making a noisy chorus in the trees as well. But most surprisingly are the Canada geese which have planted themselves on the Northern edge of the main lake and are placidly snacking away on the greenery. What on earth are they doing here? They aren't making a sound aside from the crunching of leaves, so I'm missing their hollow honking, but it is so great to see their plump bundles bobbing on the surface of the water. I don't know how long they are going to stay here, and who know where on Earth they think they actually are, but what a treat to see!
I also got the part of Prez for The Pajama Game. Yee Ha!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Et tu, anvil? (Part II)
With impending dread, I see the last line of the scene coming up, and realize there is no way to gracefully do this. Cleaning up the scrap metal has to be done front and center, not quietly off to the side because that is impossible at that point. Trying to hide the fact that I'm picking up the pieces of a prop would just draw more attention to it. So I've got to charge ahead and resist every urge to flee the stage as quickly as possible.
The last line is delivered...
I immediately fall to my knees and start stuffing the scrap metal into the remains of the suitcase while muttering aloud about how much I have it in for the Music Man and how much I can't believe how easily the people of River City are taken in by him. I look up during the tirade and realize that the Music Man and his sidekick have fled the stage leaving me to my own devices. HA! I can't blame them in the slightest, I'd have been sorely tempted to do the same thing!
When the last piece is finally put away, I growl something and stalk off the stage into the comforting edges of the stage. Thankfully this is the last scene that I need the anvil for, and we don't have any more performances for the rest of the day. All in all, it was by far the most exciting opening night I've ever been involved in!
The last line is delivered...
I immediately fall to my knees and start stuffing the scrap metal into the remains of the suitcase while muttering aloud about how much I have it in for the Music Man and how much I can't believe how easily the people of River City are taken in by him. I look up during the tirade and realize that the Music Man and his sidekick have fled the stage leaving me to my own devices. HA! I can't blame them in the slightest, I'd have been sorely tempted to do the same thing!
When the last piece is finally put away, I growl something and stalk off the stage into the comforting edges of the stage. Thankfully this is the last scene that I need the anvil for, and we don't have any more performances for the rest of the day. All in all, it was by far the most exciting opening night I've ever been involved in!
Et tu, anvil?
Ok, here is the full story of what happened.
I made the suitcase/anvil for my character Charlie Cowell for the play "The Music Man". My character is a traveling anvil salesman who has a suitcase with "ANVILS" painted on the side in big letters. The humor of the prop is that whenever he puts the suitcase down, there is a massive crashing noise like a pileup on the highway. Slapstick humor, essentially.
For this prop I took a travel case for an old slide projector. The case is made out of plywood or some similar substance, and I added a form around it to give it the shape of an anvil. After some spraypaint the prop looks fantastic. I then loaded it up with scrap metal to give it some weight, but mostly to give it the ability to make a massive clamor when the case is slammed down on the stage. After a few trial runs, I determined the effect to be perfect. It was light enough to carry easily, but makes a huge racket when thrown around.
There are three scenes where I drop the suitcase. It was in the third scene during opening night for the S.R.O. production of the play when the catastrophe happened.
Here is how the scene is written.
Music Man is in the center of the stage.
Charlie Cowell enters, slams down the suitcase and yells at the Music Man.
Charlie Cowell picks up the suitcase and storms off.
(end scene)
Simple, right? This is the smallest scene of the whole play and was the one I practiced the least because I only have two or three lines. There isn't any coreography really, just stand and deliver the line. With me so far?
Here's how it went wrong.
Music Man is in the center of the stage.
I enter, give him a glare and say my line:
"Crazy? I'll say I'm crazy! Missed my train, probably lost my job!"
I slam down the anvil. The anvil goes off like a bomb. The bottom of the case splits and an avalanche of scrap metal spills out at my feet. My mind is racing with the usual adrenaline of being on the stage, so I quickly improvise the line "And you broke my anvil!"
Then I go with my line "But I've got the goods on you... etc." At this point my mind is on autopilot because I'm in the routine of the script and the scene is going forward exactly the way it should. However, I'm madly trying to think of how this scene is going to end. Because the way the playwright wrote the story, Charlie storms off the stage taking his anvil with him. He DOESN'T leave a pile of scrap metal behind!! Also, in about two minutes the next scene is going to happen, and leaving a prop on the skirt of the stage would just... well... it's just not done. Somehow I've got to gather up all these pieces and get them off before the next act begins, and do it while everyone in the audience is watching, including the director.
I made the suitcase/anvil for my character Charlie Cowell for the play "The Music Man". My character is a traveling anvil salesman who has a suitcase with "ANVILS" painted on the side in big letters. The humor of the prop is that whenever he puts the suitcase down, there is a massive crashing noise like a pileup on the highway. Slapstick humor, essentially.
For this prop I took a travel case for an old slide projector. The case is made out of plywood or some similar substance, and I added a form around it to give it the shape of an anvil. After some spraypaint the prop looks fantastic. I then loaded it up with scrap metal to give it some weight, but mostly to give it the ability to make a massive clamor when the case is slammed down on the stage. After a few trial runs, I determined the effect to be perfect. It was light enough to carry easily, but makes a huge racket when thrown around.
There are three scenes where I drop the suitcase. It was in the third scene during opening night for the S.R.O. production of the play when the catastrophe happened.
Here is how the scene is written.
Music Man is in the center of the stage.
Charlie Cowell enters, slams down the suitcase and yells at the Music Man.
Charlie Cowell picks up the suitcase and storms off.
(end scene)
Simple, right? This is the smallest scene of the whole play and was the one I practiced the least because I only have two or three lines. There isn't any coreography really, just stand and deliver the line. With me so far?
Here's how it went wrong.
Music Man is in the center of the stage.
I enter, give him a glare and say my line:
"Crazy? I'll say I'm crazy! Missed my train, probably lost my job!"
I slam down the anvil. The anvil goes off like a bomb. The bottom of the case splits and an avalanche of scrap metal spills out at my feet. My mind is racing with the usual adrenaline of being on the stage, so I quickly improvise the line "And you broke my anvil!"
Then I go with my line "But I've got the goods on you... etc." At this point my mind is on autopilot because I'm in the routine of the script and the scene is going forward exactly the way it should. However, I'm madly trying to think of how this scene is going to end. Because the way the playwright wrote the story, Charlie storms off the stage taking his anvil with him. He DOESN'T leave a pile of scrap metal behind!! Also, in about two minutes the next scene is going to happen, and leaving a prop on the skirt of the stage would just... well... it's just not done. Somehow I've got to gather up all these pieces and get them off before the next act begins, and do it while everyone in the audience is watching, including the director.
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