Having been tagged I offer up my 5 most embarrassing moments.

Number One: Queen for a Scene

I studied theatre in college and as part of my program a semi professional production was performed at the local Artisan facility. The annual production was usually a premier of a work by Charles Strauss (a personal friend of the department head). The cast was a blend of professionals and students and was considered a fine exposure to the �real world� of acting. The year we premiered the production I & Albert (based on the relationship between Prince Albert and Queen Victoria) I was selected to double for the professional actress imported to play the lead.

Charles had written a transition piece designed to signal the Queen Victoria�s transition at the death of her true love, Albert. While the professional actress changed into her widow�s weeds I would take her place on stage already dressed in widows weeds creating the effect of an instantaneous costume change. I would sing the transition piece while descending the grand staircase and then be lead off the stage only to have the �real� Queen enter moments later in the next scene. The part was un-credited.

I performed the piece uneventfully for the first week but on a Tuesday Morning during the matinee performance for a collection of high-schoolers from three surrounding schools disaster struck. After taking my place at the top of the staircase I launched into my song and stepped down onto the first step only to discover my foot contacted nothing but air. I attempted to get my feet under me but to no avail. I slid, quite literally, on my bottom from the very top of the staircase to the bottom step coming to rest, thankfully, with my hoop skirt modestly surrounding my bruised legs. I have no idea if the skirt behaved as well on the way down since the event is something of a blur.

I clutched at my heart and attempted to look suitably as though I was supposed to have fallen down the stairs (throwing myself down in my grief perhaps?) when another actor who was originally intended to greet me at the bottom of the staircase and lead me off stage bent over and whispered in the Scottish brogue of his character �there, there, my dear, it�s such a little mistake no one will ever notice.�

My only solace is that I did not break at any time and exited the stage far more gracefully than had I descended the stairs.

As I escaped to my dressing room to change I was assaulted with the laughter of all of my cast members and on my way back to the stage my face burning with my embarrassment the actress I was doubling for lamented loudly to the director how she wished he had found a more suitable double for her.

Before you hate her in my defense you should know that she, like the rest, was simply teasing and later in the night amused me with several stories of her own stage embarrassments.

Stay tuned for number two...

I wish you Peace

~alison~

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