We had a crazy venue the other night.
Our stage was put directly on top of their stage in the sanctuary. So instead of the front platforms being two and one half feet off the ground, we were more like six. The trick there? Twice during the show we have to either scramble on, or jump off the stage. Their stage was sort of a hexagon, with our rectangle across it at the widest part. And there were five steps. So, in the pre show, in pitch black, we had to come tearing through the audience, down one level in their congregation, between tables, miss the imaginary step (a dark line in the carpet...Got us every time), up the stairs, and onto our stage. The other direction we had to plan more carefully. Off our stage onto the bit of their stage that stuck out far enough to land on, down the steps, and through the house.
On the upside, I've never heard so much praying during a show. "Please God, don't let us kill ourselves doing this! PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE PLEASE!" Only one person fell. Coming offstage you hit the backside of the drop-off and even more steps. Someone missed it in a blackout. (Big silent emotional moment onstage...Blackout...Aaaaannnnd.. KATHUNK!...thudthudthudthud...Muffled hysterical laughter.)
The terror during the locust scene has never looked more realistic. We had resorted to crossing ourselves by then.
