Wow! What a weekend! The show is open, we had three great shows, a whole bunch of critics, and one of the most insane theatre experiences I've ever had.
So, yesterday, I'm going about my business, setting the 50,000 props for the show. Filling the commode with fake pee and leaving the lid up, wrapping a box of chocolates, making toast, washing the tar pot - you know, usual prop stuff. I trail into the booth to find the barf box (don't ask) and find Sean swearing at the sound board. He had been trying to make the sound work in the lobby, which it hasn't done since Henry IV and it was only sheer luck that we got it to work then, and somehow managed to lose all sound instead. None sound, none music, anywhere.
He managed to get it working again, but then there was this weird feedback coming from the speakers and our sound levels were all wrong. Good to keep me on my toes, not so good to keep me from having a coronary. Crisis, mostly, averted. Whew!
Then during scene four, McKerrin slammed Dan up against the door on the set so she could french kiss him, and the door popped off it's hinges. Well, it tried valiantly to stay attached for a couple of minutes, but then failed and came off completely. I have to say, the actors were awesome at fitting it into the show. Altering lines, altering blocking. It was genius.
At intermission, the boys got it back on the trolley and all was well... Or so I thought.
Dan goes to attack Barry in scene 7, they fall onto the couch, and the leg collapses. I'm in the booth just shaking my head and snickering to myself. Because the situation has now passed pain the ass and crossed into comical.
Despite of all the chaos, it was a REALLY good performance. It brought them out of their heads and made it into a whole new creature. The audience was very complimentary (all eight of them) and hopefully the critic who was there will see past the mayhem to the cream underneath.
Only with live theatre, I'm tellin' you.
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