How a technical mishap helped me BREAK the 4th WALL

What would you do if you were ready to start your performance and your music didn't start and when it did it was the wrong music? It happened to me not too long ago and I'm glad it did. What would you do in that instant? would you be able to continue on, would you stop, would you ask for the right song? Some performers may panic, but for me something incredible happened out of it. For a long time now I've been having a tough time learning to connect with the audience as well as breaking that 4th wall.

I was doing my first show in Las Vegas, the mc announced me and as I entered the stage.   I already knew that I was in for trouble the moment I walked on stage. The sound wasn't playing. I had to think fast. Either I do my entire thimble routine in silence or I say something. So I decided to casually say..."Can I have a little music"

The music started, but it wasn't even my song. Being that this was my first debut in Las Vegas. I wanted to do a kick ass job and make a strong impression. After all, there were several stars in the audience. So here I was again, facing the challenge of making a quick decision on what to do.

It's amazing how quick the brain processes things and figures out ways to solve problem in just seconds. While the wrong music was being played as I was doing my scissors manipulation I thought. "Okay! my hard work on my music that I painstakingly choreographed with the thimble routine is over. So to make it up I'm going to just go with whatever music is being played and do my thing" This was what was literally being said in my head while I was looking into the audience while doing my scissors manipulation, just before I went into my "Master Of Thimbles" show.  

But out of this something incredible happened. I didn't feel stressed with feeling that I had to keep up with the music and be right on cue with each special sound effect of the song that went with the thimble music routine. Suddenly I felt a lot more relaxed and confident. I had time to enjoy myself and not worry about being "Right ON!" with my music. And so out of this came more reaction to my magic and more clapping and cheering from the audience. It was truly remarkable. Suddenly the 4th wall that I've been working so hard on to break, finally crumbled.

The only way I can explain the experience was making reference to a wild horse. If you want to ride a wild horse, you first have to BREAK it so it will be tame. The horse will finally calm down and submit to the trainer and you will finally be able to ride it. In this instance, the horse was me. I was the one that needed to be broken, tamed and challenge. A challenge that for some would cause fear and confusion, but I had just a few seconds to decide. Either I run around wild like a horse or I submit to the challenge and take it on. By dong this I was broken. It was all finally clear on how it felt to break the 4th wall.

In show business, mistakes always happen. It's part of show business. I don't blame the sound guy a bit, because out of this came something great. I turned everything that was against me into my favor, something positive and incredible happened and I now feel confident that I will now have no problem connecting and breaking the 4th wall for the audience.

The most important thing is not loosing your cool when a challenge happens. Don't panic. You're there for the audience. The audience doesn't know what music you're going to play or what kind of magic you will do. Maybe some will, those that have seen your act, but most won't know.

 

  Just remember! You’re an actor doing good work. If something goes wrong mid-performance just keep your cool. Often in these situations, you’re dealing with a simple practical glitch that can be easily solved. The problem is, no matter how minor that glitch might be, an actor’s brain invariably freezes the moment the unexpected occurs. This is completely understandable: a show you’ve rehearsed extensively embeds itself in your psyche in a very set manner. You’ve learned the show and are performing it in an order that’s become organically routine by now, so anything that breaks that routine is a jolt.
The key, many actors find, is to solve the problem by staying firmly in character.

Have fun and use mishaps as a way to learn. Turn them into a POSITIVE! and knock them dead.

 So have the thought process of "The Show Must Go On!" some of the best mistakes and mishaps happen LIVE ON STAGE!