You’re on stage facing the audience you thank the previous act for their wonderful performance and then lead into introducing the next act – a dance troupe. You build them up, as per your script and just as you raise your voice to say them name comes a whisper. Actually not a whisper, more a cry of desperation from the stage manage.
“Pssst. Pssst. Psst.”
A thousand people are watching me as I stop mid sentence.
“Excuse me ladies and gentle I think I am being summoned from beyond.
Off stage, the stage manager gave a cry for help. “Please give us ten minutes!”.
I was not in any position to say no. So ad lib it was.
“Ladies and gentlemen…a slight delay…we’re not talking a one minute delay or two but ten. It appears our dancers, from lands afar, are putting the final rehearsal on a new dance to show us. Yes, we’ll give them ten minutes. So instead of you just waiting spellbound let’s find out who has been to ‘xyz’ country – the place where our next dancers originate.”
Proud hands reached for the sky as I called a few to the stage and interviewed them about what they liked about that country and then asking what we should visit when we go there. They knew there topic so it was an easy ten minutes.
I have never forgotten that poor stage manager first with her look of desperation and last with a grin of relief.
Psst…Psst.
“We’re ready…”
As an emcee prepare for the best but expect the worst.
