Backstage at the Concert Against Humanity: A Photo Set
Posted on August 1, 2015 Posted by John Scalzi 16 Comments
Last night I participated in the Concert Against Humanity, a comedy and music event put together by the fine folks at Cards Against Humanity, mostly because, as far as I could see, it was something they felt like would be fun, so why not? And I have to say I can’t argue with that line of reasoning.
In addition to doing my own set with Pat Rothfuss (in which we read skits about science shows and super villains) and cutting down Indiana governor Mike Pence with a lightsaber — look, the dude was a Sith, he had to go — I spent time wandering backstage with my dSLR, capturing pictures of the performers and crew and recording a bit of what it’s like to be on the other side of the stage for an event like this.
Curious to see how it all went down on the performer side? I’ve put together a Flickr set for the whole show here. Click through and check it out. It’s the closest thing to being on stage, and I should know, since at least a couple of times I was actually on the stage with my camera. Enjoy!
If Mike Pence was the Sith, why is your lightsaber the red one, John? You can’t fool us.
That looks like fun! And quite a crowd, too! I’m hoping some of the other skits will land on Youtube or various blogs? [This part deleted for this reason. It includes asking another author to tell your favorite author that thing. I understand that was not your intent, Wade. But it’s still tiring and irritating. — JS]
Christoph M.:
It was only red at the end. It was from Pence’s blood.
Okay, I’ll bite. What the hell is a smoke hatchet?
Ya know, I thought of that immediately after I hit “post” and regretted it. My apologies to you both.
No worries, Wade.
Sounds like a lot of fun! Thanks for sharing. Cards Against Humanity is great!
Yeah, I’ve smoked many things, but never a hatchet…
I’m sorry I couldn’t be there. Looked like a really fun time.
Lila, I think that smoke hatchet is the hatchet that’s supposed to be used to cut the ropes securing the fire curtain. It’s usually against the proscenium wall at the stage manager’s position (stage right) and if there’s unplanned smoke on stage the SM is supposed to cut those ropes, dropping a four-inch-thick asbestos curtain which seals the audience off from the ensuing inferno. Yeah, you lose a few actors, but they’re easier to replace than paying audience.
They’re almost never used now, although those curtains still hang behind most prosceniums, and once upon a time they were very necessary – in the era of gas lighting, theaters were fire traps. I’ve never heard one called a “smoke hatchet” before, but that’s my guess.
Holy cow, you wore your Gamma Rabbit t-shirt. MOST excellent.
No ukelele solo?
Cricket: ah. I know fire curtains; I sing with our city symphony’s chorus and there’s a line on the stage marking where the fire curtain falls so no one will be under it. (I’ve also played a “victim” in one of the fire drills for the ushers, but they didn’t deploy the curtain; they were focusing on evacuating the audience.)
RELEASE THE SMOKE HATCHETS!!!!
I think “Release the Smoke Hatchets” should be the working title for the sequel to Night Dragons. Just sayin’.
Those background singers look vaguely familiar. I may have seen them on a blog I like to read.