The stage machinery fails during a crucial scene. How will you salvage the performance?

EMBRACE IT It won't be the first, or the last time a disaster happens on set. If you always anticipate & prepare for a crisis then you're better equipped to improvise & incorporate any technical issues into the performance. Audiences are aware things happen, but they also appreciate humour & adaptation. And remember the quote; ''In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.''

TAP INTO YOUR TALENT What is a stage without the machinery, of course, it plays a very crucial role in setting the scene, & encapsulating the whole aesthetic vision of the performance.. However, you are the performer, & have a much bigger role in ensuring the audience are taken on an entertaining journey regardless. The crew will fix the machines, so instead, stay focussed & confident, & remember why you're there & what the audience have come for. They'll appreciate your tenacity, talent & professionalism for overcoming adversity.

Once my property master forgot to put a phone on the set, and the soundman made the telephone right. Not seeing a phone to answer, I picked up a hair dryer, looked at it and said, "It's amazing how they make phones look like anything these days." The audience broke out into applause, and I had my phone conversation as required. The audience knows we are human and if you roll with the punch, they will understand.

Sometimes a witty quip from an actor can put the audience at ease and keep that willing suspension of disbelief—ultimately it is up to them to keep going in a calm manner. However, it’s important to take charge of the situation behind the scenes so the actors can continue to do their jobs. One time some of our trees fell during a production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. We had the ensemble fairies flit out to prop them up until we could get to intermission and deal with them more permanently. Puck said something about getting a handle on clear-cutting in the forest. Whether it’s a turn table that won’t rotate or a light cue or something misplaced, as long as it won’t cause injury to cast and crew, the audience will cheer you on. Breathe.

The actor should always be prepared to improvise so as not to get caught in the deadly "silent air" situation. The silent air indicates, forgotten line or just not knowing what to do, and the audience picks up on that. I tell my actors that the audience is not on book so don't let them know a mistake has been made. I did a comedy where the painting (was indicated but not seen) hung on the 4th wall. My actress came out and looked Stage Left and said her line, "Oh what a beautiful painting." I said, "You think that's beautiful? You should see this painting." Then I pointed to the one where she was supposed to look. Regardless, comedy or drama, know your lines well enough to feel at ease in covering up any unseen problems.

You are not alone - many hands make for light work. Once you have an option to remedy the issue make sure everyone is involved either through action / execution or by having a clear understanding of your remedy. Sometimes a well prepared crew has back up plans in place so use them. We kept two 2x4s back stage in case a gun sound effect would not work and the actor new to be ready for the new effect. We had a handyman show up in a play to repair a door hinge while the play went on... always be as prepared as possible with redundancies in place.

So this is ultimately an unmistakable truth - often issues become a "shared reality" with the audience. You know the problem, the audience knows the problem and the audience and you both know the other knows the problem. That can sometimes mean that you have to address the issue using the kindness of the audience to fix it. A lady went into labor loudly during a show - we stopped and once she was with the paramedics we looked out and asked the audience "where were we?" They laughed. I was at a theater where someone down front had a major health crisis; we told the actors to hold, asked for a doctor, called 911 and once the person had medical attention we thanked the audience and returned to the scene. Shared reality!

In the Comedy "Norman is that you?" The actor playing the part of Garson, ran through the audience and to get a laugh, he sat on a man's lap. The audience laughed even more when the man refused to let Garson get off him. Breaking the 4th wall and involving the audience can be dangerous if you leave the stage. The actor must be in control at all times, even if it doesn't seem like it.