Cherry Jones Blanks Out!- Page 2

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 11:53am

This is why I love live theatre.

Otherwise, we'd all be like the robots in "The Pirates of the Caribbean" ride at Disneyland.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:04pm

That's why I love theatre. Anything can happen. If the show were technically perfect and everyone knew their lines and their cues and their blocking all the time and it was the same every night they would call it a movie.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:07pm

"If the show were technically perfect and everyone knew their lines and their cues and their blocking all the time and it was the same every night they would call it a movie."

No, they'd call it a regular night at the theater with everyone doing their job properly.

[mikewood]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:31pm

That's junk.

I realize that I am only a "lowly" community theater actor/director, but what was described would be inexcusable. Is this TRUE? Or just a rumor?

The audience should have been refunded. That was unprofessional, and just wrong.

I'm seen plenty of instances where an actor "fluffed" a line, but they have gotten through it without retreating.

(Boy, am I nervous about my November 13th visit to see "Doubt."

(BTW, the Kerr once had "Proof", now it has "Doubt"....what's next .... "Denial"?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:38pm

I saw Lily Tomlin break character in The Search for Signs... in San Francisco. She had to guzzle some cough syrup.

As for Cherry, like Rath, I think it's completely inex-

I'm sorry, what was I saying?

[Plum]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:38pm

That's not junk, it's a textbook example of a brain fart. Happens to everyone. It was obviously no good for the performance, but when you're watching live theater, bad things can happen. Sometimes people *cough* fall into trap doors, and sometimes they forget lines. Just yesterday I couldn't come up with the word "deposit" for a good 10 seconds.

And in my opinion, both of the Leading Actor in a Play Tonys went to the right person.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:56pm

Namo, read more carefully before you make editorial commentary. That was mikewood who used the word "inexcusable" to describe the DOUBT incident. My post was speaking strictly to lamentingenvelope's statement on live theater in general.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 2:14pm

I can't imagine how awful she must have felt afterwards. I certainly wouldn't want to experience something like that - the actor's nightmare, indeed!

Good for her for doing what was necessary to move on, however roughly. As many have pointed out, the live theatre environment provides the kind of fascinating dynamics where things like this are possible, however rare. But without taking the risk, you never get the opportunity for lightening to strike. Usually, though, you don't want it to strike you dead

And for those who are being so harsh - are you overly young, inexperienced, both at the same time or just really brutish louts who take your bitterness out on the world around you?

[mikewood]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 2:59pm

I'll go with "brutish lout."

Ah... to be young and inexpereinced again......!

[mikewood]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 3:05pm

Namo....you should have called for line.

(edited for typo and loutish brutality)

Updated On: 9/18/05 at 03:05 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 3:12pm

I forgot that too!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 1:16am

Cherry was indeed not feeling well that day. She survived the moment, the audience cheered, and she most certainly DID recover, finishing the play magnificently as always. The audience at the stage door not only loved her performance, but were thrilled to witness such a real moment--the magic of live theatre.

So, mikewood, you needn't dread your seeing Doubt. But, you maybe should dread your ridiculous notions of how things are "supposed" to be.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 1:20am

The audience should have been refunded? You're not serious, are you? And this is her first major flub in almost 300 performances of Doubt and god knows how many other stage performances. She's more than allowed.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 1:56am

Well, if she were a doing this for film, she would have only had to do it great once, and she has probably done it great countless times on stage.

That said, I'm sorry that happened on the day you went.

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 8:20am

mikewood... be careful what you say. Karma. Lest this thread be running through your mind the next time you blank on a speech onstage. I, too, have done lots of community theater. And I never criticize a usually well-prepared person for forgetting a line since I know it can happen to anyone. I've DEFINATELY done it. It's not fun.

Updated On: 9/19/05 at 08:20 AM

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 8:40am

I was in a run for 6 months, and STILL read my script before every performance, in hopes that that didn't happen. Guess what, on occasion it does. All it may take is somebody to sneeze in the audience, or somebody dropping something backstage, etcto break the concetration. It happens to the best of us, and the worst as well, except the worse generally stink before and after "going up". Lol

[newsieboy23]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 10:37am

I can't believe nobody here has question why she didnt just ad lib? Yes, people forget their lines, but not attempting to cover your mistakes IS inexcusable. Period.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 10:41am

This is not the kind of play you ad lib. It's way too tightly constructed for that. Every word is important and has a reason for being there. Start ad libbing and you'll lose the whole play.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 10:42am

Newsie - the only thing 'inexcusable' is uncompromising judgement. The notion that she committed some heinous crime in the eyes of the theatre gods is LAUGHABLE.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 10:44am

Ah Margo, you beat me to it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 10:44am

Go back to Hollywood, Cherry Jones, you're a fraud, you're a fake, you're ---

I'm sorry, is it okay with everybody if I get my Helen Lawson sides?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 10:56am

I'm finding this whole discussion to be just one more sickening indication of the American demand for GUARANTEES. Forget that the real world is uncontrollable and unpredictable - if I as a consumer want something, then I am d*mn well guaranteed it!

Here's a suggestion - every audience member that night should SUE! And not just for the loss of the perfect product that they felt they were entitled to, but for the pain and suffering that Ms. Jones' obvious slap in their collective face caused them.

Pathetic.

[pooryorick]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 11:28am

I'd blank out if I had to deal with Heather's awful amateur acting eight performances a week too. Poor Cherry.


Updated On: 9/19/05 at 11:28 AM

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 11:31am

Poor Cherry nothing. Heather is actually great in the role.

[pooryorick]

Posted: 9/19/05 at 11:42am

Great? The girl needs subtitles and some serious acting classes. And a refund from Juilliard.
Updated On: 9/19/05 at 11:42 AM