On the stageToo shy to ever appear on stage myself, I still hung around theatres like a bad smell when I was younger - lighting and set design were what I was good at.
Backstage we'd attempt to sabotage every production - us lighting geeks would wind up the sound man by putting the remote "pause" button for his reel-to-reel tape machine on his chair, so when he sat down it'd start running, ruining his cues. Actors would do scenes out of order to make our lives hell. It was great and I don't know why I don't still do it.
Tell us your stories of life on the stage.
(
chthonic, Fri 2 Dec 2005, 11:02)
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Ah, school days...I had a long history in drama, from being the narrator of the first-grade nativity play to the... uh, narrator of the sixth-grade play. As well as a dog... I can't believe how degrading that should have been. But all my better stories stem from secondary school.
#1 - I, as one of the more intelligent students, usually got called up to the stage in the regular award-givings. I particularly enjoyed the state-wide competitions. Now, one year someone within the school had gained a special award. I was placed in the little queue on the stage steps, so used to this that I ignored the teacher talking to me. And when the chap on stage gave the cue and the person in front started walking, I followed him. Problem was, he'd gotten the prize. Apparently I just stood there, grinning like a loon, even when they whispered to me to walk across and get my certificate. That put me down a few pegs.
#2 - I was also one of the more intelligible subjects, and so not only did I take part in the mass debating, but I went up and gave the talk. Nothing bad about this - I learnt about it about an hour beforehand, made a few scribbled notes on a sheet of paper for a speech, and had the audience in hysterics. It's one of the two times I've gotten myself a standing ovation.
#3 - Near the end of secondary school, the principal herself was up on stage congratulating the batch of winners. This was around the time that even I stopped caring about the punishments teachers could mete. And so I went up on stage, took my certificate from the student minion (a friend, fortunately) and gave him a nice big hug. In front of the entire school body. It's probably worth pointing out that I'm not gay, it just seemed a hell of a lot more interesting than a handshake. And in what was the beginning of an unpleasant pattern, the principal promptly stated, "I am not hugging you". Too bad her microphone was still on. Nobody stood up that time, but it was an ovation all right.
Maybe it's a bit long, but if I start off at one extreme, I'll head towards the other.
Thought I'd been beaten by Newbie Tuesday, but I live in a better timezone...
(, Tue 6 Dec 2005, 10:57, Reply)
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