Corpsing

I just this week discovered the term corpsing, even though I may have done it onstage once or twice in my time.

Corpsing is when you break character onstage and wind up laughing, causing another actor to laugh. Apparently, thanks to Wikipedia, the BBC attributes this to an actor once playing a dead person onstage, but laughed and so obviously showed the audience he was alive. Oopsies.

I thought about posting this topic, because I saw Stephen Colbert break character on his show this week and it cracked me up. For a great audio example of corpsing, check out this clip from the BBC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UvzHkqarPk

Most memorably this happened to me during two closing night performances. I was doing The Hollow in 2002 and an actress onstage with me changed her line to say "Don't you know that's the only way with Edward? Stand on a table and shout! Unbutton your blouse!" The last sentence had been added for my benefit, as an inside joke between us. And I tried to keep it together, but would up covering my laughter in my hands and turning my back to her as I got control of myself again. Yes, the audience noticed.

Another closing night performance this past summer of Lend Me a Tenor had most of us onstage cracking up, and there was no way to hide it. If you've never seen the show, two actors are in blackface make up as part of the central plot. Well closing night one of the actors hugged an actress in the final scene, smearing his make up onto her. When she reeled around to face me, as part of her blocking, she, I and the actress next to me just couldn't keep straight faces. And as I remember we laughed our way through the end of the scene. Most unprofessional, but hysterical. The audience loved it.