Oops and Uh-Oh: Theater Gone Wrong

It's every actor and crew member's nightmare: something going wrong onstage. Someone forgets a line, an actor misses an entrance, a light blows out, a mic stops working...there's all kinds of opportunities for accidents in live theater.

Yes, these mistakes are horrifying when they happen. But when you look back on them, honestly?...they make for the best stories. You can always laugh about it later. And most of the time, the audience doesn't even notice!

We here at Improv Playhouse have had our fair share of theater-gone-wrong stories. Just so you know that it isn't the end of the world, here are some of our favorites:

-"I worked on a show for preschool kids where, before entering the theater, the kids went through several hallways that engaged the senses. One was the hamster disco. The hamster disco had stars all over the walls, a rotating disco ball, and a video of hamsters playing projected on the wall. One day, after our pre-show meeting in the theater, we went into the hall and it smelled of SMOKE. We ran around trying to fix it and discovered that our cheap disco ball was the culprit! We immediately turned it off and opened all of the doors we could. The kids were waiting outside with their chaperones (who were very suspicious of our frantic door-opening), but they were having a blast just being outside. Once the smell died down and we assured everyone of their safety, we brought the kids through and skipped the disco. They certainly didn't notice! They and their chaperones loved the show. And for the rest of the run, we just turned the disco ball on without letting it rotate and all was well."

-"In high school, I was an ensemble member in Into the Woods. Our one and only dance number came at the end of the opening song as the main characters head into the woods. On opening night, I waited until exactly the right moment to take my first creeping step onstage with everyone else--and the buckle of my shoe caught on the hem of my dress! I yanked it free, but the buckle ripped off! It was too late to do anything about it, so I had to wobble onstage and dance anyway. Luckily, I didn't twist my ankle, and also luckily, our wonderful costume lady was there during the performance. I ran my poor little shoe over to her and she was able to fix it before I needed it next!"

-"I was asleep in my bed the night before my production of Godspell opened--and in my sleep, I pulled my calf. Bad. I had to hobble around in crutches  the next day and the whole cast had to arrive early to go over what needed to be changed! I was so embarrassed. But everything worked out well--there was even one song where everyone danced with canes, so I just used my crutch instead. There was also a part where everyone was yelling at each other, and just as we were cut off, my friend turned to me and yelled "SHUT UP, GIMP!" The audience burst out laughing and it took every ounce of self-control for me to hold it together! (And don't worry--I was recovered for the rest of our run!)"

-"During a run of The Imaginary Invalid, one of the actors (who was onstage the entire second act) had a hairpiece wrapped around his ponytail to make it look like he had long hair. His character talked to his brother (who was also on the entire second act). The brother wore a headpiece shaped like a turban with two curls of hair attached to make it look like his long hair was escaping it. Towards the beginning of the act, the first actor's hairpiece fell right off--just a quick little plop on to the stage. He turned and stared at it while the audience laughed. He turned back to his brother and improvised, "It's a piece." The audience roared with laughter and his brother said, "It's okay! Me too!" and lifted up his turban to show that the hair was attached. The audience could tell this wasn't scripted, but it was handled so well on stage that they didn't care. The brother just picked up the fallen hairpiece, yelled the name of the show's maid, and threw it offstage. Worked like a charm!"

We want to know--what are YOUR favorite stories of theater gone wrong? Tell us below!

Improv Playhouse wants to thank veterans - through stand-up!

Hello, our assuredly attractive readers!

Veterans Day is a wonderful way to honor those who have served. No matter the kind of duty, these brave men and women have done some amazing things for their country--and that means for you and I. So thank you, veterans, for all you have done and still do.

And the best way Improv Playhouse knows how to honor people is through comedy! We're hosting a "funny not filthy" adult stand-up show tonight in honor of our veterans from 8:30-10:00 pm at the Round Lake Beach Cultural & Civic Center. It will have you guffawing! Here's the line-up:

Emcee Dobie Maxwell (of Zanies and The Improv fame)
Karl Newyear (The World's Funniest Lutheran)
& Michelle Krajecki (The Queen of Christian Comedy)

Tickets are $12.50 each, or 2 for $20. All veterans are FREE! 10% of the proceeds will go towards the Wounded Warrior Project. We hope to see you there! And, as always, please contact Improv Playhouse with any questions you may have at (847) 968-4529.

Are you a veteran? What are you doing today to mark the occasion?

Theatre, a risk....who knew!

Hello, readers! This week, we here at Improv Playhouse would like to welcome our new intern, Jordan! Check out his first blog post.

Every day I wake up and I have a different thought. Yesterday I thought about what I was going to eat, today about not finishing my homework, and tomorrow it will most likely be about not wanting to get up! Now I am sure that whoever is taking the time to read this is saying, “Well, hey! I’ve had the same thoughts!” And I would have to say, “I’m sure you have.” This is what makes us so unique as the people we’ve become and the people we want to become: aspiring theatre geeks.

Today, Joe Schmo, who lives next door to you, woke up and said, “I’m going to put on my tie, drive to work, take two aspirins, go to lunch, kiss up to the boss, leave at five, come home, eat, watch Law & Order: SVU, then go to bed.” Now this is a daily routine for Joe and his life never changes. That is why Joe makes five figures a year and we only make four. Now don’t get discouraged. That is just how theatre is, a risk; and now let’s divide even theater from improv.

Improv Playhouse prides itself on who they are in the world today with astonishing actors and many years of experience. But what really sets IP apart from the rest of the world? I’d have to say improvisation. Improv builds the best fundamentals for an actor while remaining the most unstructured form of art out there. Structure is something a theatre person has probably never heard of, but it can be good when it comes to keeping organized (and don’t forget obeying the laws). Without structure, you’re actually preparing yourself for any situation life can throw at you. Every day people lose their job, people divorce, cars gets towed, or you are broke and won’t get paid for another two weeks!

The ironic thing about it all is that everything is a risk. Daring to be different is a risk, as director Lloyd Richards once said. “Some risks cost more than others, and I guess those are the ones that you recognize as risks. But all of life is a risk. You try and achieve whatever you as an individual human being can achieve. To make that attempt is a risk. I guess I never decided to take risks with my life, I just had no choice. You take risks, whether they be small ones or whether they be large ones.” So, as I wrap up my first blog entry ever, I hope I have left you with a little something to think about: Life is a risk. Many people don’t ever want to touch on the subject of theatre being a risk, but inevitably you will risk it all in the end. And if you really want to pursue your dream, don’t stop. I am learning now to never give up because "All the world's a stage; all the men and women are merely players."

-Jordan

Cast Lists!

Happy Monday, everyone!

We hope everyone had an exciting weekend--because we certainly did! Auditions for The Music Man, Grease, and Around the World in 80 Days happened and were a huge success. Check out the cast lists:

The Music Man
Around the World in 80 Days
Grease

Congratulations to everyone; we can't wait to see these shows grow!

Production Tips: Costuming Magic

Most Improv Playhouse shows don’t employ a costume designer, which means that directors, student actors, and parents have to work together to make costumes for the shows. The results can only be described as incredible! Below you will find a list of some of my favorite shows, both from the show I’ve had the honor of costuming (Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, Grease, and High School Musical) and the ones I’ve seen and participated in. Read on, and you may just find the inspiration for you next Halloween costume!

1. Alice in Wonderland: The Caterpillar. The actress playing the caterpillar wore a giant green sleeping bag! The effect was remarkable.
2. Into the Woods: Chippy. The little girl playing the mouse wore an oversized sweatshirt with the hood up. I attached giant mouse ears and long tail to the hoodie…she looked too cute!
3. The Dwarves Beards: The Dwarves. iP teacher extraordinaire Lindsay Fussell created bears with faux fur elastic and Velcro that could be “cut” and “regrown” onstage. They made telling the hilarious story possible!
4. Rumplestiltskin: The King. Have you ever seen a king in footie pajamas? I have, thanks to a young actor’s great idea for a hilarious surprise entrance.
5. Beauty and the Beast: Enchanted Objects. With just some cardboard, fabric, and paint, my co-workers Alex Buda, Lindsay Fussell, and I created costumes for Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Madame de la Grande Bouche. Our fantastic young actors even managed to dance in the enormous cardboard creations…now that’s talent!
6. Beauty and the Beast: Gaston. We created muscles for our young Gaston by stuffing old pantyhose with cotton batting and putting them up his sleeves. He looked very manly!
7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Violet Beauregard. A giant, blue, blow-up suit was procured. Need I say more?

Guest blogger Shannon Campe is imProv Playhouse’s Resident Dramaturge. She has worked as both a teacher and an actress during her ten years at iP, where credits include The Glass Menagerie (Amanda), Blithe Spirit (Elvira), and Alice in Wonderland (Alice.) She is currently studying Theatre and Creative Writing at Butler University in Indianapolis.

You're a. . . What?

When we are young, most student actors are involved in all parts of the process: the same director or teacher may block us in scenes, teach us our songs, help us pull together costumes, and show us how to paint the set. Although we hopefully realize that the backstage elements are important in creating our show, we think of all theatre people as falling into two very general categories: those who work onstage, and those who work backstage.

The amazing thing about theatre is that there are so many jobs available to creative people. I didn’t even realize until I got older and started studying theatre at a college level how many careers are available in the world of theatre.

A good example of one of these jobs, which bridges the world between “onstage” and “backstage”, is a dramaturge. Those of you who read my last blog entry or recent Improv Playhouse flyers may have noticed that I’m billed as our dramaturge. It’s such an unusual and funny-sounding word, and not very many people know what it means.

Most professional theatres have a resident dramaturge who works at the company full-time. A dramaturge researches each play the theatre produces, and works closely with the director and the designers to help create the world of the play, using historical and cultural context. The dramaturge also gives the actors notes to help inform their performances. In many cases, the dramaturge also writes program notes to help audiences understand everything they see onstage. They may also create educational material for the benefit of young audiences and their teachers.

Remember, if you want to work in the theatre, it is absolutely possible! It takes many people to put a show together. Who knows…the job you have someday may be one you haven’t even heard of yet!

Guest blogger Shannon Campe is Improv Playhouse’s Resident Dramaturge. She has worked as both a teacher and an actress during her ten years at iP, where credits include The Glass Menagerie (Amanda), Blithe Spirit (Elvira), and Alice in Wonderland (Alice.) She is currently studying Theatre and Creative Writing at Butler University in Indianapolis.