Behind the scenes: Live theater's surprises

Nevada Daily Mail

Not everything goes the way it's supposed to in live theater productions; and the Community Council on the Performing Arts has had is share of mishaps along the way.

As the cast and crew went through its dress rehearsal for "Hello, Dolly," the first production to be held in the Nevada Cow Palace in June 1974, the stairs leading to an upper platform collapsed, slighting injuring two cast members, an item in the Nevada Daily Mail said. The show went on as scheduled the next day, with all performers present.

And over the years there were many surprises for actors and crew.

One actress recalled Ginny Nash's sewing up a minor wardrobe malfunction -- as the actress stood in the wings, entering the stage. Another told of a production in which a worker was carrying the evening's cash box behind the actors when the box crashed to the floor, spilling its contents across the stage.

Ron Seney, one of the founders of he CCPA, said the actors had little choice but to stop and tell the audience what was going on, address the situation, then resume the show.

"What can you do? It's live theater. These things happen," Seney said.

Charlie Johnson has been involved in more than 50 CCPA productions, but says one of his most memorable experiences happened during the performance of an Agatha Christie play. "It was the climactic moment of the show; my character was to shoot the bad guy (Ron Gilliland). I pulled the gun from my inside jacket pocket, took aim across the room ... misfire! I only had one shot and the son-of-a-b-- had to die. So, I ran across the stage, off the back of the couch onto Ron, knocked him down onto the stage and bludgeoned him to death with the gun."

And there were other prop malfunctions, and set difficulties, and even complete changes of venue for productions -- like the time a production of "Mame" slated at an amphitheater at Marmaduke Park had to be moved because of inclement weather.