🚀 go-pugleaf

A few years ago I was in a production of "The Sorceror" (Gilbert &
Sullivan) for which I also designed and helped build the sets.  Since I
was also in it, however, I never had anything to do with setting them
up, so what follows was *not* my fault!

The set looked basically like this from above:


-----------------------------------------  <-cyclorama
	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
	
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	xxx = garden trellis
		o	o			o = flashpot
other
stuff				  \
over				    \	<-house facade
here				      \
					\
					  \


--------------------------------------------  <-edge of stage

At the very end of the play, the Sorceror exits UC between the
trellises amid flashpots during an almost-blackout.  The entire cast
and chorus is on stage milling about during this time.  Well, one
night, the flashpots went off just before the Sorceror passed between
them instead of during or just after as they were supposed to.
Momentarily blinded, the Sorceror bumped into the back trellis or
caught it on his cape (nobody's quite sure) and it fell forward against
the two forward sections.  These in turn fell forward against the rest
of the set.  The SR section held up, but the house facade in turn fell
forward.  Fortunately there was no one hurt.  But what the audience
experienced was a blackout followed by a bright flash, followed by a
crash, a louder crash, and a still louder crash, and then the lights
came back on to reveal the set in utter shambles and the cast trying
their best to look as if nothing's wrong.  One of the leads then sang,
changing his words to invite everyone to the ruins of his mansion for a
dinner.

After that night the trellisses were attached more securely.

	-paul asente