Most Unprofessional Thing You've Done as a performer! — Page 2

The most unprofessional thing I've done was "modify" my costume to make my costars laugh onstage (and not telling them about it beforehand).

I'm supposed to come out in a khaki shirt and khaki shorts during 'Copacabana'. For some reason, this was supposed to get a laugh, but it never did. So, the last night of the show, I hiked the shorts way up on my stomach, wore black socks pulled up as high as possible, and wore an oversized straw-type hat. That got a good laugh (including from the girl I was doing the scene with, who had no idea I was going to do it - she had to turn away from me to keep her composure). The best part was, all of this was in character.

oops

Updated On: 6/8/05 at 01:38 PM

Seussical.

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Okay, I do have one more, but I was in High School...

We were doing I REMEMBER MAMA, and I played Mr. Thorkelson, the nerdy undertaker. Earlier, on the day of opening night, the girl playing Mama and I were watching the movie, and in it, my character ran in fear from the Uncle when they are first introduced. She said I should do that to. So I did, without telling anyone. I was blocked to stay by the front door, but instead, when the Uncles character was yelling at me, I ran through the scene to the opposite side of the stage. Everyone just stared at me as if to say, "WTF?"

Needless to say, our student director was pissed and she actually beat me with the cane she was walking with.

It was there and then I learned not to change my blocking.

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During the auction for Oklahoma I played Jud and was lurking in the background and a "extra" was in the background and planted Burger King Cheesburgers in the picnic baskets and during the auction he was taking the cheeseburgers out of everyones basket and was eating them on the stage, LOL, I was laughing HYSTERICALLY which cause me several times to step off stage and get a hold of myself. I have it on video which is great, lol. Of course I am much older now and dont do any unprofessional things onstage!

"Probably the most unprofessional thing I've ever done as a performer was just being in the Mystery of Edwin Drood. On our last night, we were out of character for like, the whole play. It was one of those plays where you can't help but laugh in the middle of it, even when you're on stage."

Ooh, Drood...

So we're doing it last year and the Chairman says something like "So where's the mystery?" Some random person in the audience (not a plant) yells out, "Your personality is the mystery!" The Chairman hardly takes a beat, turns to him, and goes, "Oh really sir. I wish I could say the same for your sexuality!" The cast that was on stage (all the principals) was practically dying. Puffer and Deputy fell, they were laughing so hard.

My personal one was as Lucy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, getting annoyed when people were blocking my entrance (which was also the entrance to the room), and saying something like "Schroeder...AND ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE ENTERING AT THE END OF OUR SHOW..."

Updated On: 6/8/05 at 04:30 PM

Over a decade ago, I joined a production of Arthur Miller's "After the Fall" ten days before the first performance, in the role of Quentin. It is the lead role and has tons of speeches. The character is onstage 99% of the time. For about the first two weeks of the production, I had to have most of my lines fed to me through an earpiece. That is pretty unprofessional. But, I did finally memorize my lines, and was good for the rest of the production. Plus, I met my wife in the show.

I did a horrendous community production of the equally horrendous musical 'Personals.'

I never did learn the words to the opening number.

I also dropped an f-bomb during a cutting of 'Godspell' at State competition.

Talked about my high school director (from freshman year) behind her back with a fellow cast member. Turns out she was standing right behind me. I forget exactly what I said about her...but I think it had something to do with her smoking pot (she WAS a pothead, she went to rehab after that year). But let's just say she hated me after that and I wasn't cast in the next show, sadly.

No etoile... not revenge on the audience; everything I did was in character. They were cracking up. Besides that whole performance that night was already spiraling down the toilet. I actually am upset that that audience didnt get to see the real show I worked my ass for two months to prepare.

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Forgive me for bumping this thread, but I felt like bringing it back. :)

There was a scene during Sideways Stories from Wayside School in which another actor had to read an "SOS note" I had written and he had intercepted. During rehearsal I would just write the actual lines ("Help help help! We're being held captive by Mrs. Gorf's crazy son!") on the paper, but on opening night I wrote "Don't break... I know you want to... don't laugh, Tyler.. you're so close... don't break!" He cracked up and retaliated by spraying spit all over my face during our "confrontation."

Once when I played Sneezy (classy or what?!) We were at the sleeping bed of snow white and the apothicry person comes on and says "I'm afraid no aillment of mine can cure her" now this girl is one of those I'm brilliant but is actually crap kinda person. She has nigerian accent and moves her head from side to side very largely. Now some of the cast caught on to this and soon word spread to look out for it.

So the whole cast ended up in hyterics on stage each night, but as we were all supposed to be crying we just made it out that we were hysterically crying. Was so funny!

Someone missed there cue when I was playing Feargal in Back to the 80's. I was supposed to accidently hit them so they can ask what I am doing. Then I talk about my Karate. Well I'm standing there doing the Karate Kid wax on wax off for about 5 times thinking of crap what to do. I just turned to someone and said "Oh you want to know what I am doing?!" and went for my lines. Was so weird.

Also in a concert we did we had a girl singing "what a feeling" from flash dance. Anyway for the last night as the girls were dancing and singing someone ran across the back of the stage with a huge painted "Gaviscon" sign, not sure if its the same in America but they use the song in an advert in England for heart burn tablets. It was so funny from the wings! I think the audience didn't know any wiser ha!

And another as I was playing Feargal, I come onstage to realise that Micheal has been sending fake love letters to Elieen. So I'm all angry and annoyed and then Debbie says "the only difference between you and a bucket of crap is the bucket" every time she said that line I had to turn to the back of the stage and smile it was so bad!

And another in rehersal I said "Mr Miyagi says to be a fully developed grasshopper one must use head and hands to guide hands" I cracked up and lets say the director was less than happy!

Wow that was long!

Updated On: 2/18/07 at 02:59 PM