Trippin' on Broadway

Opening night was exciting and fun and definitely a success, but let’s keep in mind that it was the first time all of us had gone through the whole show start to finish without stopping.  This last week of performances have been about growing and learning, and fixing mistakes…and for me, trying not to trip! 

I’ll admit it, I can be extremely awkward in speech and in physical control over my body, especially when I’m nervous.  One of the first things you need to learn how to do in a Broadway show is how to get to the right spot at the right time without tripping and stumbling and without running into someone else.  It seems like it should be easy, but its not.  At least,  it’s not easy for this girl.  (pointing to myself)   I can’t even count how many times I have tripped onstage this week.  I also hit myself in the face really hard during the Totally Fucked choreography.  Ouch!!  However, I think I did a good job of not being too noticeable because most of the trippin’ was in the dark during transitions. 

One moment in particular was totally trippin’ me up.  There’s a scene in Act Two where all the girls move to the center of the stage to read a letter.  We have a music cue for when to leave for our spots, but we were never really getting there at the right time.  Then, when the scene is over, I have to make my way in the dark all the way downstage to my chair.  I look and feel like a blind person.  I’ve caught myself actually lifting my hands out in front of me and searching around for the chair so as to not run into anything or sit in the wrong chair.  (In the put-in rehearsal I ended up sitting in an audience chair.  Hope I don’t I sit on you if you’re onstage audience member!!  If I do, you can just shove me over!! hehe) 

Finding my chair has been getting easier as I practice and get more used to the stage, but getting to my place at the beginning of the scene was getting worse and worse.   I couldn’t figure out if I was late or making the wrong traffic pattern, but I was barely making it to my place every night.  So frustrating!!

Thursday came around and I was focused and determined.  Act Two began, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for that transition.  I had plans to plow right through to my spot and be there on time! Lights down, music up and I was off!!  I cut through the dark like some minnow slicing through ice cold murky waters!! Zooooooom and ……..POW!  “Whoa, what was that?  Omigod!!  I just ran into Martha!!  What’s going on?  Where am I?!?”  And now the lights come up and I’m really not in the right spot.  “SH*T, F*CK, SH*T!!”  I quickly adjust and we begin the scene.  The scene goes well, despite the collision, but as we exit the scene, one of the other actors whispers to me, “mic cord.” 

Mic cord?  I figure she must mean my microphone chord was sticking up out of my hair or costume.  So I smooth out my hair and make sure everything is tucked in and covered.  Then the lights come up for the last song of the show and I realize she wasn’t talking about MY mic cord, she was talking about the microphone chord sprawled out on the front of the stage!  It’s my job after one of the songs in Act II to wind up the mic chord and tuck it under my chair so it’s not all over the stage. I had been so worried about that letter scene I forgot about the mic chord completely!  Luckily nobody trips over it and everyone just pretends it’s not there, but I feel like a fool! 

I guess looking back it doesn’t seem like too big of deal. (I mean, it’s only Broadway, and it’s only the most important show of my life thus far.)   Some good things did come out of my slip ups on Thursday.  We all really talked about that letter scene and we’re able to make the next night work much better.  By our shows on Saturday, we were making it to the right spot beautifully in time with the lights and music. Plus, part of the fun of live theatre is how it changes, grows, and gets better and you never know what might happen, what mistakes might be made, and how you will need to adjust.  However, I can still feel all my senses become hyper aware the moment before that letter scene.  Eeekk!!  It’s soo exciting and scary and wonderful!

Conclusion:  Week two should be much less clumsy on my part.  I don’t do drugs, but I know enough to know that “Trippin’” belongs at cabin parties and not on a Broadway stage!!   

-- Emily Kinney

Comments

[Miki]

Wow I love you blogs so much!!!! Thank you for updating, congrats on being the new Anna and I can't wait to see you all in the show!! Hopefully I'll be up there in December to see the show for the 5th time!
Cheers and keep being amazing!! :-D
~ A fan and Broadway hopeful, Miki :-)

[vivi]

Chill- I'm sure you did fine!! I haven't had the chance to see you as Anna, but I'm going to see the show for (unfortunatly) only my second time in November... but I reaaally need to get rid of my parents beacuse otherwise it'll be super super awkward... Anyways, glad to hear you're getting better :D
-vivi

[April]

Clumsy? You? HA! Kind of like running, or driving, into grocery stores? Or am I totally off here! I hope you are doing great and I can't wait until I am able to see you again sometime! Miss you SOOOO much!
April

[Alyssa]

I'm coming to see you and the rest of the new cast tomorrow.. I'm looking forward to seeing you light up the stage! It'll be my 4th time at the Eugene O'Neil and certainly not my last. :)