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Dropped Microphone: Break Character or Curtain?
I’m a high school senior, and I’m playing a principle character (but not a lead or supporting character) in this year’s school musical. For most of my scenes, I have a microphone. There are only a few microphones so the principles have to share. All through rehearsal, I had enough time to swap microphones with my designated partner. However, on opening night, I didn’t, and I couldn’t get my microphone on in time. It fell out of my dress while I was onstage. I pretended like it wasn’t even there, and this angered my director.
What should I have done? Is it better to break curtain, or to break character? And what should I do if it happens in subsequent performances?
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Well my friend, you are not ALONE. This has happen me countless of times, the thing is to (according to my Theater instructor) NEVER BREAK CHARACTER! Things like that will always happen; you can’t avoid imprecation in a performance. I mean that what makes Live Theater so Fun. This is what my friend told me about performing, “when the inconceivable happens, Improv your character (make it up). Then get back as fast as possible, just don’t let the Audience know that you did it” If your microphone doesn’t work learn to project your voice. It’s really good if stage is design for that, if not sorry dud. Anyway just do the best you can nothing more can be expected.
I hope it works out for you. And in this case break a leg.
~Teen Guru~
PS Please let me know if this helps.
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Well that's a dilema, talk to your director about it, he was probably just mad because it was opening night, tell him that it was an accident and that you didn't want to break character, he may understand, and if it happens again, just start talking loudly, but don't lie, it will hurt your voice
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speak load NEVER GO DOWN TO GET IT
NEVER BREAK CARECHTER NEVER
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You should never break character. The best thing to do is improv. Try to do something your character would do. For example let's say you're Evelyn Nesbit in Ragtime, she's a little slutty and a little trashy so she would think nothing of adjusting herself infront of others or making some lewd comment, or get someone else to reach down her top to fish out her microphone. Another example, you're Annie. Annie has the locket her parents gave her so you could try to grab the locket and talk about missing your parents. Always stay in character nomatter what!
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Well i can say one thing... improvisation has saved my, and many other or my peer's butt many times. If your dont get your mic on.. then its gonna have to be your peers that save you with improv skills. Just hope they know what their doin lol. hope i helped
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It's never good to break character, because it shows the audience you guys aren't as good. It might anger your director, but the best of actors do not use microphones. If you don't have time to get microphone on, and the next line is critical, just go on and belt it out, and the audience will hear you. As soon as you get offstage, get your microphone back on. If your line isn't critical, just take some time to get the microphone back on. When I was in Give my Regards to Broadway, and I had a principle but not lead part, one of the characters was taking his own sweet time to get onstage and he didn't have a legal reason, it's just that he forgot he had to get on. My fellow characters and I ad-libbed all the lines until he got onstage, and we actually got a lot of laughs for the new lines that we added.
Let the people who are onstage before you get onstage know that you need to take a bit of time to get the microphone on, and ask them to add a couple of lines to give you some time. That way you don't need to worry about the director's anger.
Break a leg!
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Under any avoidable circumstances, do NOT break character. This can ruin the play. Breaking curtain is better than that. Your other actors will need to improvise, and if they can carry on without you and just watch backstage.
For example: If the line was," AHHHHH I'm ANGRY!!!!!!"
Then your co-actors would say, "I think she was really mad. I must be psychic or something."
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I think you did the right thing. That's what we do in dance performances if a hat or other prop falls. See what your director would have preferred you to do, and get suggestions on what you could do better. Maybe you can find a way to secure so it probably won't fall, or have someone help you if you don't have very much time. Hope I helped.
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I think what you have done was the right thing. I don't see how your director got mad about this. However, if it happens again you should still do the same thing. Possibly pretend you dropped a pencil (I'm pretty sure principles carry around pens or pencils). Ask your director if it should happen again what to do. If he just say it won't happen then do again what you did last night. I hope I helped! ♥ good luck
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You should dance, like ashlee simpson off stage like she did on her flunk job on the show SNL.
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okay. well im a mazed that your director got mad at you but im guessing he likes things to b perfect.as long as ur loud and u pretend as if nothing is wrong..it could all work out.your director would just have to deal with his anger and he should know by now that not everything is always perfect.im sure the audience wont ahte the play just because your mike fell.another thing you could do, is improvise and make a quick offstage exit..fix everything and get bak on track. this kan work sometimes. as long as you do it right.but other than that great jopbb and i wishh you luck.
hope i helped
<3 Alex
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