A Christmas Curse-ol 2012
Tuesday: First day working Marley tech. Waiting under the stage for ramp to descend, actor to descend, chains to descend. Scene begins to close, CO2 pumps up for effect, ramp opens... fog immediately billows down as though its own character in the scene, completely blinding the three of us awaiting the descent. Actor slides down, legs first, lower back finds the vertical beam near the bottom of the ramp (but we don't know that's what happened: all we know is his groaning). 40-pound cash box + steel chains follow him. My arm reaches out to find and control the mad rampage of the prop, protects my face in time but takes the brunt of the impact and knocks me off balance, knee encountering the steel frame of the set piece. Minor abraisions, swelling, bruising, and accident report ensue. Actor uninjured, merely winded- though a panicked few moments that is, unable to see him and find if he is broken or mauled. Meanwhile, costume design assistant/shopper/fire putter-outer protects her face from an errant stairwell door swinging at her to the detriment of her right hand bones. Alas, she is right-handed.
Wednesday: Prepare for Marley re-teching by bringing in and wearing roller skating wrist guards and knee pads. Success. Main fly man injures thumb in hand-versus-door rematch. Thumb iced and functional. Costume shopper out for four hours at the ER, returns with tight wrapping and strict orders not to use it lest the muscle swelling causes fracturing along her (so far) unfractured hand bones. Meanwhile, her tech week dog walker loses her apartment keys down an elevator shaft and must wait with dog 45 minutes for building manager to actually let them back in. 200-dollar elevator service fee ensues. After supper Christmas Present is almost no more as an unscheduled fly rail attempts a smooth landing on her head. Six inches downstage and this would be a whole different play today.
Thursday: Flush from my victory of a perfect Christmas Yet To Come fly rigging and cloaking, discover that the Cratchit House platform is much shallower than believed. Landed very well, perfect distribution of weight and fortunately no jarring of the catching wrist. Right shin not so lucky. Bleeding and bruising and tingly painful numbiness ensue. Same platform attempts same maneuver three hours later but is outsmarted by my clever catching of my balance.
Friday...
Wednesday: Prepare for Marley re-teching by bringing in and wearing roller skating wrist guards and knee pads. Success. Main fly man injures thumb in hand-versus-door rematch. Thumb iced and functional. Costume shopper out for four hours at the ER, returns with tight wrapping and strict orders not to use it lest the muscle swelling causes fracturing along her (so far) unfractured hand bones. Meanwhile, her tech week dog walker loses her apartment keys down an elevator shaft and must wait with dog 45 minutes for building manager to actually let them back in. 200-dollar elevator service fee ensues. After supper Christmas Present is almost no more as an unscheduled fly rail attempts a smooth landing on her head. Six inches downstage and this would be a whole different play today.
Thursday: Flush from my victory of a perfect Christmas Yet To Come fly rigging and cloaking, discover that the Cratchit House platform is much shallower than believed. Landed very well, perfect distribution of weight and fortunately no jarring of the catching wrist. Right shin not so lucky. Bleeding and bruising and tingly painful numbiness ensue. Same platform attempts same maneuver three hours later but is outsmarted by my clever catching of my balance.
Friday...