Behind the Curtains: True stories of backstage anecdotes, mishaps and mayham wanted.

It doesn't matter whether it's a school production or play, or whether it's a major theatrical or musical event.

We all know how those nerves jitter before one is on that stage, under the lights ... and it's do or sink.

I'd say most of us have somehow partaken in a cultural illusion called "theater" or "performance".

But what happened behind the curtains?

I'd like to hear any story that people would like to share, whether it's garage bands, school theater or a professional act for a paying audience.

Did the make-up melt on your face, or was there a sudden power failure, or did you forget the lines?

Did you handle any mishap professionally, or was it a public embarrassment?

Please share your trauma, and your laughs.

I accidently set the school on fire

just kidding lol but Once I ripped my pants during recess and the whole school followed me into the bathroom to see my ripped pants even the girls went inside LOL the whole bathroom was FULL of people just waiting for me to come out. it was crazy

Well to think of one experience from primary school, in the older class we did a "punk version" of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

This one girl that nobody could stand much at the time was in a cardboard box in the middle of the stage.
She was the "magic mirror".

Our Snow White was a rather rotund girl at the time, but in our version she had ripped jeans and looked cool.
Perhaps what was also signifcant is that Snow White and the Magic Mirror couldn't really stand each other, and everybody knew that.

I was the narrator who sat on the side of the stage in a suit.

At one point I'm threatened by the "dwarfs" and SW turns to stomp off the stage with an attitude.

The first night it all went perfect.

The second night they "threaten" me, and SW stomps off, but she's still screaming at me ... and then ... BANG!

She knocked over the box with the magic mirror character!

The look on the girl's face in the box was just classic (as in: "You did this on purpose, you cow!")

Everybody started laughing.

The parents and teachers, and the whole audience were hosing themselves with laughter.

I was laughing hysterically.

My head is hot and I'm suddenly looking at this mess, and I realize it's up to me as the narrator to say something.

I tried to go back to my last line, but I'm still giggling intermittently.
Nobody's really listening anyway.

I don't know how, but we finished it quickly.

But then, when we got backstage ... oh boy did I let rip with laughter.

The Greenport Peter Pan fiasco - Oh when the props come crashing down!

At least here the audience was supportive.

In our day those kind of mishaps would have been judged as a "rubbish" production and a failure.

reply to post by BacknTime

Wow , that sounds awful!

I'm not sure what "recess" is (we never had it here).

Just goes to show how people love a disaster or tragedy.

Well here we actually do have respected people who did really burn down their schools, because of apartheid and Bantu Education.

One of my fellow cast members left a candle burning in the dressing room. It set my clothes on fire. I was stuck wearing my PE clothes the rest of the day.

During a rehearsal I was supposed to run up to the stage and the leading man was supposed to grab me and pull me up. He lost his grip and dropped me. I landed right on my shins at the stage edge. I still have bone chips to this day. It was horribly painful. At least it was rehearsal and not in front of an audience lol I was not able to get up and walk right away.

Lots of stuff. Backdrops collapsing. A real goat in the play started eating the settings. Stage curtains fell off their holders. Etc. lol I miss theater.

I'd say candles, even for the "'Scottish Play", can be both alluring and dangerous.