Technician steps in after sudden mishap during Workshop show
Actor injured during performance, but teamwork and quick understudy save day
There is an old theatre adage that a show must go on regardless of what happens behind the scenes.
Workshop Theatre’s president Jacquie Brennan learned it takes a community of dedicated actors and crew to prevent an accident from completely derailing a production.
Workshop’s current season is a celebration of 50 years as Calgary’s longest-running community theatre and its production of Edmonton playwright Andrew Garland’s noir comedy And Then the Lights Went Out was on the home stretch when the lights went out for actor Tara Rorke, who played the rookie female cop in this inspired comedy.
Brennan explains that in a quick exit near the end of a matinee performance, Rorke twisted her ankle, fell forward, hit her head and face on a brick wall and suffered, among other injuries, a concussion.
“We cleared the theatre and called 911. Luckily, there were people in the cast and the audience who had first aid training to watch over Tara until the paramedics arrived. We cleared the theatre. This was our afternoon tea performance so we just served the tea in the lobby immediately.
“We had to cancel the final 20 minutes of the show and offered everyone tickets to the evening performance if we could find a way to have one.”
Brennan says Workshop had an ace in the hole.
Jen Leclaire had starred in such recent Workshop productions as The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Lady and the Van, and Witness for the Prosecution and she was assisting stage manager Emily Brennan in the lighting and sound booth.
“Jen had seen the play from the booth since it opened so she had a good grasp of it.
“The cast rallied and spent the two hours before the evening performance walking Jen through the blocking and we gave Jen an ear bud and put all of the character’s lines in the file folder the character used as a prop.”
Brennan admits the other cast members were nervous because no one knew what was going to happen.
“Jen was so professional and so focused that, after the first scene, the cast and crew knew we had a show and it was a dynamite performance because everyone was determined to make it work.
“Our producer Amanda Jane got on the ear bud radio and guided Jen through the blocking and fed her lines during the character’s really physical scenes. We told the audience in advance what had happened and what we planned to do and they were definitely as supportive as everyone on stage and backstage.
“The playwright, Andrew Garland, was in the audience and he praised Jen, Emily’s crew and all the actors for their professionalism.”
In addition to her concussion, Rorke suffered two black eyes, a broken nose, a hairline skull fracture and a cut on her chin that required four stitches. She is recuperating in hospital and Brennan says Rorke’s only regret is she missed the final performance, the meet-and-greet with the playwright and the cast party.
“She’s a real trouper,” Brennan says.