Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Actor freezing on stage

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QAAW
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 3/19/10
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Topic: Actor freezing on stage
Posted: 3/19/10 at 1:45pm

Opening night tonight and last night's dress rehearsal was abysmal. One of the older actors has developed stage fright and freezes! Forgets his blocking, lines, everything. This has never happened in our Comm. Theatre before. Am at a loss and am ready to tell the audience he fell and got a concussion therefore has to use his script. Otherwise we are considering putting a cell phone with ear bud in his ear and prompting him.
We are doing this comedy without any sound tech (none was needed), so we have no headsets, etc. The whole cast is nervous and flubs their lines trying to 'save' this guy. The play is no longer funny, just painful to watch.
Any last minute tips? Ideas?

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edh915
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Joined: 11/19/09
Location: United States
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Posts: 325

Posted: 3/20/10 at 9:31pm

I had a similar problem once. I did a preshow speech, told the audience we had a last minute replacement - in time to get the names in program correct, but with limited rehearsal. I thanked everybody in the cast for their hard work; then thanked the audience for their forebearance. The actor in question went on with script in hand, and with the crutch, did rather well. The audience was none the wiser, and some even went so far as to single out the actor and congratulate him on a job well done. The other actors didn't have to worry about anything but their own parts, and were able to give fine performances, and the audience felt as though they had helped, too, by being understanding. It was a win-win situation for me. Not one that I'd want to repeat, but we got through it all with minimal damage.

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lalunabella
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Joined: 10/03/05
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Posts: 21

Posted: 4/07/10 at 4:28am

I take it you don't have an understudy.

I have never had an actor "freeze" out of anxiety, but I have worked with actors that struggled to remember their lines and easily lost focus. I also had occasion to work, as a fellow cast member, with an ill prepared actor that taped enlarged printed portions of his script to certain props and set pieces. I am not sure if the director knew about this practice or not. It certainly wasn't ideal, but it did help him get through the show.

"Yes I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one that can find his way by moonlight and sees the dawn before the rest of the world." ~Oscar Wilde

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JoeMc
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Joined: 3/13/06
Location: Australia
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Posted: 4/11/10 at 6:16pm

This sample artricle from the AACT may help this bloke?
"In the Beginning was the Word."
As the old adage goes poor dress rehearsal, good show!
I would not worry too much, I'm sure he will come thru.
Toi Toi Chookas

Edited by JoeMc - 4/11/10 at 6:17pm

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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Thudster
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Joined: 10/16/07
Location: United States
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Posts: 68

Posted: 9/01/10 at 4:39pm

In the Wilder Pageant, the role of Rev. Alden is always one of the last to be cast (before I came along) and as a result, it went to poor actors. I discovered that the prop bible is FULL of pages from the script.

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KEB54
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Joined: 7/24/08
Location: United States
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Posts: 227

Posted: 9/03/10 at 3:05pm

I've done the same type of thing as Thudster.

I don't envy your position, nor the cast. As you said, it is as hard, or harder, on the other actors.

Hopefully, it will all work out and be fine. I warn my actors that they must have their lines down cold long, long before tech week. Once we hit tech week, all kinds of new things are thrown at them that they have to get used to (lights, props, sound, fully decorated set, etc.). They can not be in the position of trying to remember lines. All those little things can throw an actor -- a chair in a slightly different place, a prop that isn't exactly the same as a rehearsal prop, the fit of a costume, a light in their eyes, or just the fact that the house lights are off. Often for me what throws me is not wearing my glasses, so once I'm off script I no longer wear them.

Anyway, hopefully you can get him acclaimated to all those extra distractions and get him back on tract.

KEB

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Directing
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Directing

Author	Message
QAAW Walk-On Joined: 3/19/10 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: Actor freezing on stage Posted: 3/19/10 at 1:45pm
	Opening night tonight and last night's dress rehearsal was abysmal. One of the older actors has developed stage fright and freezes! Forgets his blocking, lines, everything. This has never happened in our Comm. Theatre before. Am at a loss and am ready to tell the audience he fell and got a concussion therefore has to use his script. Otherwise we are considering putting a cell phone with ear bud in his ear and prompting him. We are doing this comedy without any sound tech (none was needed), so we have no headsets, etc. The whole cast is nervous and flubs their lines trying to 'save' this guy. The play is no longer funny, just painful to watch. Any last minute tips? Ideas?

	IP Logged

edh915 Celebrity Joined: 11/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 3/20/10 at 9:31pm
	I had a similar problem once. I did a preshow speech, told the audience we had a last minute replacement - in time to get the names in program correct, but with limited rehearsal. I thanked everybody in the cast for their hard work; then thanked the audience for their forebearance. The actor in question went on with script in hand, and with the crutch, did rather well. The audience was none the wiser, and some even went so far as to single out the actor and congratulate him on a job well done. The other actors didn't have to worry about anything but their own parts, and were able to give fine performances, and the audience felt as though they had helped, too, by being understanding. It was a win-win situation for me. Not one that I'd want to repeat, but we got through it all with minimal damage.
	IP Logged

lalunabella Player Joined: 10/03/05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Posted: 4/07/10 at 4:28am
	I take it you don't have an understudy. I have never had an actor "freeze" out of anxiety, but I have worked with actors that struggled to remember their lines and easily lost focus. I also had occasion to work, as a fellow cast member, with an ill prepared actor that taped enlarged printed portions of his script to certain props and set pieces. I am not sure if the director knew about this practice or not. It certainly wasn't ideal, but it did help him get through the show.
	"Yes I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one that can find his way by moonlight and sees the dawn before the rest of the world." ~Oscar Wilde
	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 4/11/10 at 6:16pm
	This sample artricle from the AACT may help this bloke? "In the Beginning was the Word." As the old adage goes poor dress rehearsal, good show! I would not worry too much, I'm sure he will come thru. Toi Toi Chookas Edited by JoeMc - 4/11/10 at 6:17pm
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

Thudster Star Joined: 10/16/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 68	Posted: 9/01/10 at 4:39pm
	In the Wilder Pageant, the role of Rev. Alden is always one of the last to be cast (before I came along) and as a result, it went to poor actors. I discovered that the prop bible is FULL of pages from the script.
	IP Logged

KEB54 Celebrity Joined: 7/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 227	Posted: 9/03/10 at 3:05pm
	I've done the same type of thing as Thudster. I don't envy your position, nor the cast. As you said, it is as hard, or harder, on the other actors. Hopefully, it will all work out and be fine. I warn my actors that they must have their lines down cold long, long before tech week. Once we hit tech week, all kinds of new things are thrown at them that they have to get used to (lights, props, sound, fully decorated set, etc.). They can not be in the position of trying to remember lines. All those little things can throw an actor -- a chair in a slightly different place, a prop that isn't exactly the same as a rehearsal prop, the fit of a costume, a light in their eyes, or just the fact that the house lights are off. Often for me what throws me is not wearing my glasses, so once I'm off script I no longer wear them. Anyway, hopefully you can get him acclaimated to all those extra distractions and get him back on tract.
	KEB
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Topic: Actor freezing on stage( Topic Closed)