The show can’t go on as Mercer Mess keeps Seattle Rep actress from taking stage on time
May 21, 2013, 4:58 PM | Updated: May 22, 2013, 7:46 am
Seattle Rep actress Anne Allgood got stuck in the Mercer Mess Saturday along with dozens of other audience members, prompting a madcap race to get the show on the road. (Seattle Rep image)
(Seattle Rep image)
Dozens of theater goers trying to get to the Seattle Rep for Saturday’s performance of Boeing, Boeing were among those caught in the endless backups caused by construction on SR 99 last Saturday. Little did they know the show wasn’t going without them, because one of the stars was stuck with them.
The Seattle Rep revealed in a blog post Tuesday actress Anne Allgood, known on stage as huffy Berthe, got stuck in the same spot of the Mercer Mess for 30 minutes as show time approached for the Saturday matinee.
Talk about stressful. She still had to get her hair and makeup done. And she appears in the first scene. Even worse, there’s no understudy for her part. Without her, the show couldn’t start.
The theater dispatched intern Katie Stevens to run the two miles to Anne’s car and trade places with her.
Anne, clad in high heels, had to ditch the shoes and run barefoot to the theater at Seattle Center. All the while, the audience continued coming in, ready for the hit show.
Luckily (or unluckily depending on who you ask,) many audience members were stuck in the traffic as well.
Anne ultimately arrived, hurried into costume and makeup, and the show got underway just 22 minutes late
Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite so smoothly for Katie. After Anne ran off, she realized her car was a manual transmission. Katie had never driven a stick shift before.
“I quickly start Googling [on my phone] while I sit in traffic for another fifteen minutes. When traffic starts moving I stall twice then get the car going just to stall again. Everyone is honking and yelling at me. Two girls even came up to the window to yell and curse at me, informing me I was holding up traffic,” said Katie.
Katie must have some good car karma. Some kind audience members stuck in the backup actually recognized Anne as she ran off, and one of them took the wheel of Anne’s car. Katie slid into the passenger seat while her good samaritan drove them both to the theater.
The show went on, although you can forgive Anne if she didn’t join the standing ovation at the end given the two-mile run in bare feet.
