Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Cruel_Sandwich
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/30/05
#0Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:13pm"Are you even allowed to be here?" at the work call.
#1re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:23pm
We had actors that would routinely TALK WHILE MIKED during sound check...making sound check almost impossible--then my friend Joey (also in the cast) WENT OFF on the cast during one and I have never been so proud!
To get even, one of the lighting guys and the drummer put a dead mouse in Marty's bed. I discovered it under Grease Lightnin...
WindyCityActor
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/13/03
#2re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:28pm
I was in a production of Hamlet in which the actor playing the lead role damaged part of the set during a publicity photo call and then asked the DESIGNER sitting the the house to repair it.
..rather sad ending to this story...the actor later died of a drug overdose in a hooker's bed, while he had a rather plum role in a daytime drama.
#3re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:30pmI had an actor walk into a setpiece trip over it and start screaming at me that the setpiece was in the wrong place and he wanted it moved. I looked at the floor showed him and the director the marks that showed where the couch was supposed to be and he went off ranting and raving that it was still my fault.
"Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his d!ck in...ex's getting std's...schadenfruede" ~ Ave Q
"when dangers near, exploit their fear" ~ Reefer Madness the Musical
#4re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:30pmHahahahahahahahahaha.
Bob Martin Online
touchmeinthemorning
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/3/04
#5re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:32pm
literally, this happened:
Prima Donna walks off stage during show, to get a costume change done. Hearing over headset to get her water, newly added techie brings her a cup. She says, "No. Cough drop."
He runs back to get her cough drop, has it open for her right before she goes on stage, she says "Idiot! I already had water!"
In two years, techie turned into stage manager on big production. He sat behind the table at an audition, and managed to convince everyone that she shouldn't be cast in role she was up for.
Moral of the story: Be nice.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#6re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:40pmGlenn Close/Steve Beers
cheezedoodle
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/15/05
#7re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:44pmI once worked with a fairly well known actress who was really nasty to the other women in the cast of Carousel that we were doing. She was insanely jealous of her boyfriend who was a hearthrob on a national soap opera, and they did the Roles of Julie and Billy oposite each other. We got even with her on the last night by putting live Beatles in her shoes during a quick change. Don't mess with the techies!
#8re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:48pm
"We got even with her on the last night by putting live Beatles in her shoes during a quick change."
And they said there'd never be a reunion!
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#9re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 3:53pmLildogs, I do adore you so.
DramaDork925
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/4/05
#10re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 4:10pm
I once heard someone say "Techies are just people too stupid to act." I completely flipped on them.
#11re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 4:12pmA girl once thought that she was the hottest thing to ever hit the small town we lived in. She treated everyone in the cast like crap. She threw an open bottle of water at a techie because it wasn't cold enough. During a quick change that same techie/her dresser "forgot" to tie the back of her halter dress very tightly so during her big dance number she made a completely different kind of debut.
Kringas
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/05
#12re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 4:17pmCalled them "the help." Granted, I was the actor who called them that, but they totally deserved it.
#13re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 4:18pm
Dork: they shoulda said "Techies are just people that are too SMART to act." Cause Lord knows they make ALOT more money than any actors I know.
That's awesome KelRel--I always heard that if you're mean to costumers, you get straight pins in your dance belt, which could be fun under the right circumstances, but not on stage.
#14re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 4:19pm
Did I forget to mention that that was me? 
#15re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 4:21pmlildogs, Paul and Ringo are the only live Beatles left, so it shouldn't be too difficult.
Wanting life but never knowing how
robbiej
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#16re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 4:25pm*I decided not to post my story cause it was too long, but hit post on a blank message. SORRY!*
#17re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 4:44pmrobbie, you hesitate to give us a long one?
#18re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 5:03pm
summer stock, i was designing costumes and being the wardrobe master for "bye bye birdie". everyone was swell to work with except the girl (college age) playing ursula and gloria.
during one performance she was talking to someone backstage about how tacky her gloria outfit was (haltertop and cropped cigarette pants with big f*ckme pumps). i came around the corner and all she said was, "you'll never be a REAL designer."
so next night for her quick change into gloria, i accidentally might have moved the button and zipper on her pants so that they were too tight and when she went to do the splits onstage, she ripped a sizeable hole in her pants. and she had to stay onstage for the entire scene like that.
granted it was more work for me in the end to repair, but it was good revenge!
robbiej
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#19re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 5:04pm
Well...only cause of the myriad of details I'd have to explain.
HEY...you were being dirty, weren't you?
Stick it in.
#20re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 5:12pm
Completely off-topic, but when I was in a college production of M. Butterfly, the prop baby was set inside part of the set. When i go to pick it up ONSTAGE and hold it, it's not there. So I mime holding a baby with a look that says "You'd better act like I have a real baby." to the guy playing Sharpless. Meanwhile, the TD was crawling UNDER the set--it was a series of screens and platforms--like the old man running the carousel in Strangers on a Train. He takes the baby and brings it to the director who was also pulling the screens--she didn't trust anyone else (oy) who throws it to me right before I re-enter.
I thought that was very heroic of him to save my child. "A Chinese baby, with blue eyes and blonde hair..."
robbie: I always am.
WindyCityActor
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/13/03
#21re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 5:25pm
Usually, my getting cast is the worst thing that can happen to the costume designer.
I've had costumers pull out their hair trying to find clothes that fit me. Most times, I usually help out by bringing some items from my own wardrobe...period hats, riding boots, etc.
#22re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 7:03pmWhy do you have period hats and riding boots in the first place?
Wanting life but never knowing how
#23re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 7:05pmSome people enjoy riding various animals in a fancy way?
Bob Martin Online
#24re: Worst Thing You've Ever Seen An Actor Do To a Techie?
Posted: 1/31/06 at 7:09pm
Most productions I've been involved with the actors and techs were very cordial to each other.
Though back in high school most of the drama tech guys were also the druggies who didn't bathe daily, so they got ragged on for that a little bit when they weren't around.
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