Actors Breaking Character

I saw the evening show of If/Then this past Sunday...During the birthday party scene Idina's scene partner (her assistant-the Alaina character) had a crack in her voice during the song. After a few seconds, they both lost it in a fit of giggles. After they were not able to recover, Idina said, "Its the last show of the week, guys!" Of course, she got huge applause. The lights dim on her scene and goes to another part of the stage for a short scene with Anthony Rapps character. When his scene ends, the light returns to her and Alaina. They are STILL laughing!! She said, "Can we go back to that other scene for a minute?" More giggles as they try to compose themselves and then she says, "How much did you guys pay for these tickets?" Followed by huge laughter and applause...Trying to regain their composure, Idina attempts her next line but can't get through it. Alaina laughs and Idina says, "Its not funny!" After a bit more laughing, they finally got it together.

It was SOOOOO funny and I'm so glad I had the chance to see that. I'm sure it rarely happens. Have you seen anyone on Broadway break character before?

That sounds really unprofessional.

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I think its hilarious when this happens!!! Ive never seen anyone break character before, but i know Sutton Foster, Gavin Creel, and Marc Kudisch completely lost it in a scene in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Also, one time Santino but a jelly bean in Laura Osnes' glass slipper in cinderella, and they couldn't stop laughing.

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And I'm sure if someone were talking on their phone while Idina was trying to perform, she'd throw a diva fit.

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Classy behavior, but I suppose doing that awful show for so long could really get you down.

Maria Aitkin once discussed doing a production of Noel Coward's The Vortex with Rupert Everett, who grew bored (along with the other younger actors in the company) very early in the run, and began doing stranger and stranger stunts in attempts to crack other actors up, including carrying on a suitcase full of cabbages and throwing them around the stage. She began closing her dressing room door at that point.

If you're an accomplished clown (or working with one), it can work in very small doses; otherwise, it's just childish and foolish (and appreciated by equally childish and foolish audience members).

At Avenue Q in Chicago recently, during the Money Song, someone put a $50 giftcard to a restaurant in one of the hats and none of the actors were able to continue with the scene. After what seemed like an eternity of out-of-character laughing, Christmas Eve finally said "Those people bunch of cheapskates!" which made the cast crack up once again for an extended period.

Personally, I think breaking character from a stage-only situation is different from breaking character in relation to an audience member. The thing CurtainsUpat8 describes is much more unprofessional to me than actors breaking into a giggle fit amongst themselves, at least. There was a post in another thread about Neil Patrick Harris breaking character in Hedwig to yell at an audience member coming in late, I think; meh.

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^Yeah. And I personally love bloopers.

Oh, someone actually managed to catch a video bit of Menzel breaking character when she was trying to put on a shirt during a scene, but it was partially inside out. After struggling a bit, she just couldn't and had to sit down and laugh, which made the audience roar. But that wasn't the best/worst of it--when she tried to continue the scene, the audience kept laughing/cheering, which made her laugh, and THEN Menzel turned to the audience, held up a hand, and said "Stop." There's a "diva" moment, I guess, but in a funny way.

(I've actually gone through this board searching for blooper/outtake threads, and there are several. Funny stuff.)

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Updated On: 10/8/14 at 01:04 PM

I don’t mind when actors naturally/accidently break character (it’s one of the joys of live theatre), but when breaking character becomes a “bit” (and done purposefully) is when I find it loathsome.

I also agree – breaking character to comment to an audience member, to me, is much more unprofessional that suddenly getting a case of the giggles that just won’t stop. I don’t always blame the actors for doing such (especially for something that is so disruptive that it actually behooves everyone in the audience for the show to essentially “pause” until that distraction is gone), but I definitely think there are better ways to do it than others.

And, yes, I’m sure Neil never broke character – he could adlib and talk to the audience and it was all as Hedwig.

As for the comment about Menzel going "diva" on someone on their phone, as far as I know, that's never happened (or it'd probably be ALL over social media). That stuff is on the ushers/security. There was one instance where a girl kept taking flash pictures during IF/THEN, but it took a few times before an usher/security went and deleted stuff from her phone. I've heard of Lupone breaking character and going "diva" on audience members before; I don't know, maybe they deserved it? Sometimes you just want to bean certain audience members...

As for the Hedwig thing, I don't know if I'd have figured out as an audience member that he was "in character" still. Good for him if he worked it in that way, though.

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In the case of Hedwig it's kind of part of the show. I've seen both Hedwigs break character that way. But, it never got in the way of the story or show itself. Hedwig as it is has a pretty loose script. The actors are very free to add to it or make the role their own-part of the beauty of it.

I've heard a TON of stories about Idina breaking in If/Then, and trying to entertain the audience with her "funny", "cute" unprofessionalism. It has definitely happened on quite a few occasions based on the many stories I've heard.

Breaking character and deviating from the script/ad libbing are NOT the same thing. Some of the things being described here are NOT breaking character.

I'm rather mixed about the OP's story. I could see how being there would feel "special", but it IS unprofessional. It being the end of the week is a lame excuse. (Although I get it, that people's voices sometimes crack.)

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