CALLING: Stop The Show!

[Melinite]

I have never (thank goodness) had to stop a show yet, but I have cancelled a show 10 minutes before curtain. I had an actor collapse on the way to the theater because of internal bleeding from an ulcerated esophagus. The next weekend, I caught him smoking after a performance. <sigh>

I did have to have a TD reset the dimmer packs once during an intermission, but we were able to make it through the first act. Note to self and anyone else interested: Always reset the dimmer packs after an unplanned power outage. Always run at least the first act's light cues during light check. I could have avoided that one, and I felt like a dumbass that I didn't.

My favorite disaster avoidence story was when MacDuff had to run home and change his underwear because he couldn't do stage combat in boxer shorts. <laugh>

[smalltimeSM]

This wasn't a show stop, but it was a Cancel while the audience was seated.  I was working on a production of "Ruthless the Musical" at a resort.  We were gearing up for a 2pm sunday show, when we were told that the resort was going to shut power down for 20 Mins. starting at 1pm.  so after we set up for the show we proceeded shut our systems down to provent any problems after power was to be restored.  Well 1 O'clock hit and we still had power, 1:10,1:20....1:47 p.m. they finally shut power down.  (mind you we have a 2 o'clock show and a 20 min power outage)  We didn't get power back untill almost 3PM!!!  we were still going to do the show, the audience (most of them) stayed with us.  But, (yes BUT) while I was running around making sure systems where ok and running normal, and my SM, ASM, and PA where dealing with Equity problem about doing the show after a long hold, we lost all control over the entire lighting system.  Since we had power back the emergency back up shut off, but we lost all house lights because there was no signal to the rack.  We called the show and sent the patrons home with there mony back and a voucher for a free show.  The cause of this ended up being a bad back up battery system in the signal distro rack.  when power came online it stayed on back up untill the battery died.

[ChaCha]

It seems extraordinary really but in 15 years of fulltime stage management I have never stopped a show. I've cancelled a few, one right on curtain, but never had that mid show disaster (fingers crossed and touch wood) - but have any of you noticed how cancelling a show, or presumably stopping a show, make the evening just as long if not longer than normal?  The night I cancelled right just before the show started I got home later than usual and absolutely exhausted! I think when I first decided we couldn't do the performance I had visisons of getting home early and enjoying a good book. How mistaken was I!!

ChaCha

[philimbesi]

Wasn't me (God I wish I had this job but) a friend of mine plays Mickey in Fantasmic! in DisneyWorld she was telling me of a time they had to do what they call an E-Stop.  Apparently in the beginning Mickey appears at the top of the set, he does this by riding a lift, which moves pretty darn fast.  Apparently the girl (not my friend) playing Mickey had her knees locked (a no-no) and when she got up to the top the jolt cause them to lock and not release and "Mickey" fell backward, hurting himself in the process. 

The SM E-Stopped the show which brings the house lights to full, the work lights to full, kills the electricity to the lighting grid, plays a pre-recorded "Technical Difficulties" message, and de-energizes all pyro.  The problems were 1) The actress playing Mickey needed medical attention, and because they were afraid she had a head injury they didn't want to move her.  2) The pyro needs to be unloaded before it can be re-energized for obvious safety reasons.  So the SM made the call to down the show.  The audience was informed of the cancellation, bringing boos from the audience (welcome to Disneyworld, the happiest place on earth) and demands for refunds.  Which makes me wonder if they would have rather had their kids watch paramedics work on Mickey Mouse, it's amazing how people forget there are real live people in those suits.   She was out of commission for a long time with dislocations in her knees and a concussion. 

[Dee]

I have only had to stop one show.  W were doing a production of Hedwig and had a obviously intoxicated man in the audience.  He was asked to leave and did or so we thought.  He actually went outside and called the cops and filed a assult charge on our lead actor.  My house manager let me know the cops were outside and needed to speak to the actor right away.  I went out and convinced them to let us finish the scene and them I would send him out.  I let the actor know what was going on.  Luckly there is no fourth wall in this show and the lead talks directly to the audience for most of the show.  So he told them what was going on.  We then had the band play other random songs they knew to entertain the audience.  It worked out well since it was a Punk musical alot of poeple thought it was part of the show.

[Laurs]

I've never had to stop a show...*knock on wood* but last year the other spring PSM made a list of what to do in case of emergency...there's one for fire, one for medical...and also one for Zombies:

Zombies:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have just been notified that the living dead are approaching this theatre, hungry for brains. Please be prepared. Look around you for any objects that may be used as weapons to defend yourself from these unhuman beasts. With our combined strength and numbers, we hope to be able to fend off the menace and create our own colony of self-defending living people in this theatre. Once again, the living dead are approaching, and we plan to defend ourselves. Please prepare yourselves and await further instructions."

[reds]

The closest I came was this past summer during "Beauty and the Beast"  A horrible thunder storm started (which brought a few looks towards the tech table because it wasn't time for the lightining and thunder effects yet)  For a split second there was a flash as if everything was going to go out, but it didn't so we all just held our breaths.  As soon as the show ended we found out that the electricity had gone out everywhere in the building, but the theatre!  Someone was watching out for us that night. 

[killerdana]

This summer I was doing a production of "Grease."  The temperature outside was over 100^o and (as happens in S. California) we were having rolling blackouts all over town.  We spent about 20 minutes pre-show working out a whole emergency announcement and evacuation plan in case the theatre blacked out, and I did the whole show with my flashlight right next to my prompt book--where I could reach it quickly and easily.  Fortunately, we never were hit with the blackouts, but it was nice to know that we had a set plan.

[Laurs]

In high school I was running light board for our production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and we had dress rehearsal the night of this huge hurricane/thunderstorm so we had shorts and things blowing out...we thought we'd solved all the problems until the director and I walked in the next morning and found, with all the masters down, there were lights turning on and off on their own. So we went thru opening night with random lights popping on and off and THEN the powerstrip for the light board got tripped by some kind of electrical surge and the stage was in blackout for 3 minutes until we figured out how to turn the system back on.

[DeeCap]

I had to stop a production of "The Blue Room". For those who don't know the show, it contains nudity. My director did this "opening prolouge" that had the two actors naked under bedsheets on a floor in sexual positions. It was done in very, very low light and was very tasteful.
Well we had problems with the lighting; a daisy chain was loose and I had this BRIGHT white light on for scene changes. I started the show; and instead of the low light, it was the bright light. The lights were screwed up. No way were my actors going on naked in bright light. We explained it to the audience, who were very good natured about it. We continued with the show without the prolouge. It was fixed halfway through the show.
I worked on a show where the set caught fire at half-hour, and on another show there was a heat wave that caused a power outtage and the show was cancelled. Then this past winter my show was cancelled due to 27 inches of snow.
Wow. No wonder I enjoy drinking... 

[TheaterTek]

Got a question for you guys that came up in dress rehearsal this week. A Gel frame came loose but did not fall from a light over the stage.  I wanted to stop rehearsal to get it but the tech director said not to.
Needless to say it fell on an actresses head 5 minutes later. no harm done except for her and the guy next to her to pick it up.
What are your thoughts on that?

[smalltimeSM]

I am Tech Theatre, I live it, Breath it, Sleep it (vary little, but I do), t is my life.  The reason I said all that, is because I will do ANYTHING to keep others safe on stage (and off).  That Tech Director should have gotten off his ^$$ to fix the problem right then and there.  If someone had been seriously injured it would have been his fault, but some other persons lawsuit problem.  If he took his job seriously he should have delt with it.  Now having said this if he was doing some other project at the time, and did not know the saverity of the issue, I can understand.  BUT only if he didn't know the saverity.

smalltimeSM

Why The Hours!?!

[Mac Calder]

The question that should be asked, instead of "Should I have stopped the show" - in my opinion, Yes, but I am paranoid about overhead hazards, is "Why was that gel frame not installed correctly/not safetied in.". Modern lanterns have gel frame rails with a safety clip at the top, so that all four sides are secured. With correct installation, that means that three sides are fully secured, and the TOP side has a spring loaded clip. It is ALMOST impossible for one of them to fall out, if the lantern is properly maintained and rigged correctly. In cases where the nifty little gel frame clip was not present, the gel frame should be attached to the lantern - by using a small safety wire, or (the cheaper, less permanent solution) a cable tie.

My basic rule of thumb - if there is a chance that something may fall from above head height, clear the stage, secure it so that it cannot, then reconvene. Gel frames can cause serious injury. I have seen them embedded in hardwood floor, after being hit off by a fly bar being lowered. Imagine if that was someones head.

[DeeCap]

Got a question for you guys that came up in dress rehearsal this week. A Gel frame came loose but did not fall from a light over the stage.  I wanted to stop rehearsal to get it but the tech director said not to.
Needless to say it fell on an actresses head 5 minutes later. no harm done except for her and the guy next to her to pick it up.
What are your thoughts on that?

The top priority is safety. The tech director needs to understand that now or it will cost him later (either his job or a lawsuit or both)

[smsam]

Yep, In my opinion you should of! It would have only taken five mins tops to clear it and then it would never have fallen on someones head!

I speak as a victim of a Gel-Frame Incident  I was walking across the stage when a particularly incompetent techniciain (who I later learnt was actually stonned at the time) dropped a gel frame from the top of a tallescope! It landed directly on my head & sliced it right open! I had to remove the gel frame from my head and seek some pritty urgent medical attention.

So there you go...

Sam x