James Metcalfe
While performing my one-woman show, “Confessions of a Peri-Menopausal Novice Backpacker,” I had to erect a tent onstage while performing a monologue. This one night, I accidentally put one pole of the tent in the wrong hole, making it impossible to pitch. I struggled with it, still reciting the monologue and throwing in every line I’d ever edited out, just to cover my struggles.
After several minutes of this, I ran out of things to say and, on the verge of tears at trying to force the pole end into the proper hole, started storming offstage. Then I got mad and just turned around and attacked the thing, ripping out all the poles I’d previously inserted (it was the third of three poles that was giving me the problem) and started from scratch, having to improvise about the so-called “joys” of camping so people would think it was all part of the show. After what felt like forever, I finally got it together… and received a huge round of applause.
Contributor: Libbe HaLevy
