Shoshanna's ankle / How well does a stage crew know the show?

[shameless]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 1:37pm

The reason I ask, is because I went to see the show on Saturday night and Shoshanna got her ankle caught in the trap door. It seemed like it took the crew about 30 seconds to realize what was happening and even longer to react.

At first, she tried to free it herself and cover, but when she realized she couldn't, and the pain kicked in she started calling (at that point, more like begging) for them to let the trap down. Now, this was my first time seeing the show, and from the fifth row, I knew something was wrong. So my question is, how the hell didn't the crew know right away and what the hell took them so long to get their asses out there?

Anyway, I think Shoshanna's fine, they stopped for 15 minutes and then she came out and finished like nothing had happened, but I was so pissed. Half the people in the orchestra sections were yelling for them to let the trap down before anyone from the crew even got to her.

Updated On: 4/18/05 at 01:37 PM

[shameless]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 3:33pm

Really, I want to know, am I wrong for thinking they should have known instantly that there was a problem?

[Thenardier]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 3:35pm

"how the hell didn't the crew know right away and what the hell took them so long to get their asses out there? "

Because she isn't Idina.

[BEKA531]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 3:38pm

the crew is so used to what they have to do at this point, and there have been so many more shows that went without a hitch than the maybe 5 shows that there was a problem. i've seen lists of props and cues for different scenes, and they have it so down to a science that they aren't really prepared for anything to malfunction.

[shameless]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 3:56pm

Call me crazy, but I think it's pretty damn sad that half the audience knew what was happening before the crew did and that the girl had ask for help at least 3 times.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 4:00pm

Well, the thing is, the theatre is very political.

Shoshana's yells for help went to the stage manager - who called the producers to make sure a crew member could go on stage. First, however, all the producers needed to have a conference...then call the director to see the best way to get the crew onstage without it being a major catastrophe. Then they called the stage manager back. He was able to call the crew to tell them exactly how to help Shoshana.

[ikmbway]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 4:00pm

wow that is sad the audience knowing before the crew. If they have to go through all those calls then why was Idina put into an ambulance was it immediately after or just a little later?
Updated On: 4/18/05 at 04:00 PM

[shameless]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 4:06pm

LOL Thenardier - you know what, they could have had all of those conversations in the time it took them to get out there.

She yelled that it wasn't her dress and that it was her ankle and to please let the trap down, then it seemed like everyone around me started yelling to let it down. You could hear in her voice that she was in pain.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 4:10pm

Maybe they did it on purpose. Yeah, Mantello said he was sick of her crappy performance so he pulled an Alfred Hitchcock and inflicted the pain on her to get the desired reaction...

[ikmbway]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 4:20pm

that is mean for Joe to do. Wow thats so mean.Are you joking?

[shameless]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 4:24pm

I thought she was great, excellent considering she could've been maimed - jk.

Updated On: 4/18/05 at 04:24 PM

[Thenardier]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 5:01pm

Am I joking about Joe purposely injuring Shosh?

I hope so....

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 6:12pm

I would assume that when this accident happend a major scene shift was taking place. Elevators, flys, traps...etc. all moving at once. It's a stage managers worst nightmare for someone to be injured during a performance...especially during a shift. Most of the time...the stage manager calling the performance...doesn't have full view of the stage...he or she is looking at small tv monitors...calling cues...flipping cue lights...and trying to monitor the shift...all at the same time.

You can't just assume that no one knew what was happening. Most of the shifts are automated...using computer technology...it isn't always easy to get something to stop once it starts...even if the carpenter was aware that something was amiss to reopen the trap out of sequence may not have been easily done. I have no doubt that everyone was scrambling to get the trap open as quickly as possible. Even if you didn't realize it was happening. Unless you were backstage...you don't really know what was going on.

[IMsooHyprToday]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 7:03pm

Theatre is an accident waiting to happen.

As a techie, i know that dealing with a major mechanical error like that within 30 seconds is quite fast. I am sure the audience screaming to get aid for shoshana didnt help the situation.

Kudos to the Stage Manager for being able to take care of the situation in a professional way, and even BIGGER kudos to Shoshana for going back on after only 15 minutes.

[jjdude2000]

Posted: 4/18/05 at 7:32pm

It was when she was coming up for NGDeed, right? Wow, I hope she isn't still in any pain.