artbitrary:

clarity-in-insanity:

artbitrary:

clarity-in-insanity:

And then you say, “HA BITCH I GOT HERE TWO HOURS BEFORE YOU AND I STAY HERE LATE TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR ASS. SHUT THE FUCK UP.”

“OH YOU HAVE HOMEWORK? AND LINES TO MEMORIZE? WELL I HAVE HOMEWORK AND LINE NOTES FOR YOUR LAZY, UNMEMORIZED ASS AND THE REST OF THE DAMN CAST, NOT TO MENTION I HAVE TO UPDATE THE PROP LIST, SEND OUT EMAILS TO DESIGNERS, ORGANIZE TOMORROW’S CALL, AND DO A REHEARSAL REPORT. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, SHUT THE FUCK UP. Please.”

:)

things like this always bother me, as someone who has done both tech and acting and directing.  i think it takes away the whole point of theater which is such a communal art.  everyone has a skill to offer and puts in a significant amount of time and effort.  it’s true that techies and designers and producers often have to put in extra time in production meetings or before/after rehearsals, but actors too put in an incredible amount of work on their own time developing their characters.  certainly there are some who don’t, but, just like a techie who doesn’t put in the work, the result is inferior craftsmanship and usually obvious.  i think the beautiful thing about theater is that a whole group of people with such different roles all partake in the creation of that final production, the quality of which is so dependent on the interactions and relationships of the people involved.

i directed a production of Rent last spring, and it killed me when my stage manager would scream at my cast members for something they might potentially do.  the cast was so incredibly talented - far more than i could have ever hoped for - and really dedicated to and passionate about the show, and they deserved to be spoken to as fellow members of the ensemble, not as children and not as opponents.

i just don’t think any of us should dismiss the experiences of anyone involved in a given production.  we’re all working toward the same thing anyway.  and honestly, i get that this is funny to…people who wear headsets I guess, and that i shouldn’t take it so seriously because it’s not malicious, but i’ve seen these memes and heard and observed these attitudes enough times to feel compelled to say my peace about it.  so, in closing, theater people: respect one another.  this is a shared passion and you’re creating art together.

sincerely,

an unfortunately inarticulate director/actor/singer/techie/dramaturg/teacher/audience member/general theater enthusiast

It’s a joke. It’s supposed to be funny.

Sincerely,

Actor, director, singer, writer, composer, techie, as well as stage management (those guys with the headsets that seem to have a bad reputation for yelling but are in fact, calling your lovely show and are the communication between the production team and the actors)

ps— I would like to point out that i have never said any of the above things in the original post out loud to anyone (including actors). All I ever do for actors when i stage manage is solve any show complications and get them whatever they need to put on a good show. I do my job right and if my humor offended you, you can fuck off.