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As the saying goes, ‘Never work with children, animals, or props.’ All those of us who have had the privilege of participating in any live theatre end up collecting hosts of stories wherein just about everything which can go wrong does. Sometimes minor, sometimes near catastrophic. People forget lines, tech fails to properly tech, random outcries or input from the audience, any assortment of chaotic factors which can come your way while the curtain is up and the show must go on.
The famous three children, animals, and props hold a special place in our hearts as they tend to engender the most frequent and profound doses of live performance chaos. Many of the tales from Broadway are rather epic but here are two examples of prop related hijinx from my high school days of involvement in school and community theatrical productions.
Pirates of Penzance
Gilbert and Sullivan musicals are well-known and beloved. They have their own unique style and tone, there are professional theatre companies and societies which devote themselves entirely to just that cannon of material alone not unlike their Shakespearian comrades. Pirates is one of the most familiar of Gilbert and Sullivan’s creations and one year my high school decided to take a crack at it.