Breaking Character- Unprofessional or Funny — Page 2

BillFinn - I'm in The Dining Room right now, and I'm playing Standish, the father in that scene. We had our first rehearsal tonight and I think that's everyone's favourite scene at this point.

**looks up** that's actually funny in my opinion!

I read that Richard Burton was doing Camelot during the 1980's, I think it was the tour version, and he forgot some of the words in the middle of 'How to Handle a Woman' and he stopped the orchestra and said "Ladies and Gentleman, this is my 1080th time doing this show and I have forgotten the words" and got a huge applause. I think it's moments like that can make a theatre experience really special to watch, it shows how actors are human, everyone makes mistakes.

---

Updated On: 4/13/05 at 11:32 PM

LOL! Wow he must really be anal when it comes to cell phones.

---

Call me the wet blanket, I love seeing screw ups on stage for sevreal reasons. Firstly it's interesting to see how the actors react and get back hicups in the show, it makes that night of seeing it unique, and finally it's just damn entertaining.

This is however with comedy shows, I would be irritated if people were cracking up during "A Long Day's Journey Into Night."

I don't blame Norbert for freaking about cell phones. If the cell phone is ringing loud enough for him to hear it up onstage, than it's definitely distracting the audience as well. Seriously, if someone in the audience is rude enough to leave their phone on during the show, they should be called out on it. Besides, the audience has already been pulled out of the fantasy of the show by the obnoxious ringing, so how is an actor ad-libbing going to make the performance that much worse?

---

If leaving my cell phone on at full volume would get Butz to come down off stage and haul my ass outta the theater, then I would do it.

Updated On: 4/14/05 at 01:41 AM

Hugh jackman was excellent at staying in Character. When I went, he forgot his lines for an entire scene. He just sort of add libbed, but as if he was actually the character he was playing. He actually asked an audience member if she had seen the play before, and asked what his next line was. It was funny, because the person accually knew his next line!

I think as long as the actor accually made an honest mistake, mess ups can be funny. It makes the audience realized that there is a real person on the stage. If I wanted a flawless performance, I would have rented a movie. But not "Saw", because that movie sucked.

jera

---

I have seen "breaking character" in both DRS and Spamalot this month. Friends have also mentioned the same things to me. It seems that it is now part of the play to leave something in if it gets a big laugh.

The one situation that comes to mind for me is "Lion King." I didn't enjoy the show AT ALL because I felt the entire cast was unprofessional. One of the young actresses actually waved at someone in the audience, but the worst was the entire ensemble. There were a lot of entrances from the back of the theatre, down the aisles and onto the stage. EVERY entrance they made they were talking and laughing prior to their entrance. It SO disrupted the show for me that I couldn't enjoy it. I feel anything unplanned that is disruptive is unprofessional.

---

Often I think it depends on the show and more so the performer. When a huge star goes up on a line once in a while and recovers well (or with humor) it can give the audience a kick. It's also fun to know that these stars are human,just like us.

Some legendery ones:

Hermione Gingold in "A Little Night Music" came out for a big scene and went up on her lines. She paused, stared at the audience...and in that great charactery voice of her's simple said "I don't know what they want me to say"--The audience went crazy, laughing and applauding in support of her honesty. She went off stage for a moment, recovered and went on with the scene.

Another "Night Music" moment (from a friend who worked the show). Big dinner party scene, actors sitting around dining table, all kinds of dinnerware, glasses, silverware, etc.. All of this rolled out on big set piece. Someone didn't secure some of the props and when the set stopped center stage, some of the dinnerware didn't! Plates crashing, glasses flying, etc.
Most of the actors were stunned, but Miss Gingold, with that voice and face looked out at the audience and simply said "Oooooooh" Audience again ate it up.

Wish I had been there.

That Debbie Downer link reminded me of something. I would consider Amy Poehler highly professional, but I've seen her break and burst into laughter SO many times I can't even count them. I used to go to Assssscat every Sunday night when I was living in Manhattan and she was notorious for it. I wouldn't call it unprofessional at all because we were laughing right along with her... she would always slip right back into character, of course, but the thing with improv is that you never know what kind of absurd thing the next person is going to come out with, and like I said, we're all human and we don't know how we're going to react to the unexpected.

Also, certain things come into play... like if you're over tired things tend to hit you differently and its a lot harder to focus. I know when I'm exhausted I'm as giddy as a school girl... the stupidest things make me laugh.

I think what it boils down to is how the actor handles the situation. Incorporate it into the scene and you're fine.

---

It really depends on the show and the situation. In most comedies, I find it wonderful because it's usually in the spirit of the show and it reminds the audience how special live theatre can be. It's not like they get to see the "bonus features" of a Broadway show.

Now if it were a farce like Noises Off, where it would break the timing, it could be a potential disaster that could seriously halt the momentum required to make the show work. Of course, in a dramatic production, it's simply fatal. I can't imagine Streetcar or Equus in which an actor bursts out in a fit of giggles.

I've only seen it happen twice - both in London. The first was My Fair Lady when Martine McCutcheon and Jonathan Pryce lost it during the diction sequence, but I was too far away to see what had happened. It had the audience roaring and it did not go on very long. The second was in the review All You Need Is Love and it was during a somewhat serious moment. But given there was no real plot, it truly was funny to watch because the two actors kept having to look each other lovingly in the face. Anyone who's ever been in this situation knows this only makes things worse. I couldn't stop laughing myself.

---