(submitted by SME)
Well, it was my first year being a real stage manager, and it was our
director's first year working at our school and we were doing "The
Pirates of Penzance," which is not the easiest of shows. Our director was
not the easiest of people to work with either, but luckily I at least had the
support of the cast. I think I was the only person in the whole production who
hadn't been screamed at by her by tech week, but it still had worn on my
nerves. Hell week really was hell week, I had stage managing to do, but I also
had grades to keep up and I had a full schedule and I was spending my lunch
talking to the director or painting or working on this play and I was
incredibly tired. I was trying so hard to be perfect and to not be yelled at.
Part of our set was a big moving stage rock on wheels that had to be locked in
place; we were borrowing it and if we had broken it it would have cost about
$3,000. It's the second day of hell week and we're running through and as the
pirates are dancing and the Pirate King is singing I get that feeling that I forgot
something. It comes the time in the Pirate King's song where he jumps onto the
rock and it rolls backwards with him on it. I rush to the side of the stage that
it is on and while Frederick is singing with Ruth and the daughters are waiting
offstage, I try to crouch down and roll the rock back into place. I can't move
it and right there behind the rock I have a nervous breakdown. Everything that
had led up to that point suddenly came out and I'm crying and shaking as the
daughters are wondering what I'm doing. I was so scared that our director was
coming to get me. But no one (and nothing) got hurt and I think someone talked
to her about how bad I felt and she didn't say a word. I guess we all have our
moments and I guess that wasn't really a horror story, but it was pretty awful
crouched behind that rock crying uncontrollably. Oh well.
