This was the time I played Sylvie, and almost burned the theater down. Damn, I was skinny!
Wait, back up! Almost burned the theater down?
Well, it was like this. Sylvie was a smoker, blocked to light a cig, smoke about half of it, put it out, and empty the ashtray in the wastepaper basket.
You know where this is going, don't you?
Props forgot to put water in the ashtray, and I didn't get the cigarette all the way out. When I dumped it in the wastepaper basket, it still wasn't out. A few minutes later, when I was supposed to light the next one, I thought the stage seemed awfully smoky. I glanced over, and there was a huge puff of smoke coming out of the wastepaper basket. At that point, I still had the warm Pepsi in front of me, so I just picked it up and crossed behind Olive, who was on the phone, and poured it over the fire.
Sure was glad I had the warm Pepsi.
Olive was a bit ticked that she was being upstaged by a bit of smoke. I would have been, too.
The audience was getting restless.
By the way, that's Fire Berry, second from the right.
Good times...
Great picture! Loved the story too.
ReplyDeleteYou must have so much fun doing what you do. Did you have to learn how to project your voice? And, how do you do that?
I was taught that by a singer when I was still in high school and just starting on a career of public speaking contests.
ReplyDeleteYou visualize your voice coming from your diaphragm rather than your throat. Breathing deeply, place your hand on your diaphragm. Then speak. Sometimes you have to practise a while before it comes, but once it does, it's like riding a bicycle, and you will never forget.
You don't want to know how many times I've caught the garbage disposal on fire.
ReplyDelete