What Fools These Mortals Be

This is actually a bit of recycling.  GO GREEN PEOPLE!

Hopefully this will give me a little kick start to start putting up posts on a regular basis.

I had posted this in a 'note' on my Facebook profile while I was quite frustrated with the attitudes of many I was working with at the time.  Attitudes that I could not really get behind or wrap my head around.

Although I am still frustrated with work, it is more due to the lack of job in my chosen career field (theatre).

Anybody know of something preferably in Florida or a warm climate give me a shout.

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September 9, 2009

What Fools These Mortals Be…

What has happened to theater (or theatre if you are really into it…)?

I got into this business because I loved it… I guess deep down, I got into it because I would like to make a decent amount of money. But, in reality, I know that it is very unlikely that I will be drawing a 7 figure paycheck from doing a show whether it be performing or running around in the dark…

I got into it because I like the idea of giving people an escape from reality. I liked the idea of escaping reality.

I would think that most others got into this line of work for the same reason. There are few that are under the delusion that they will end up drawing that illustrious 7 figure paycheck for what they do. But if we are honest with ourselves, we know that that probably will not happen…

“We fool ourselves so much we could do it for a living.” Stephen King via Wireman.

At some point it became a job for a lot of them.

That is unfortunate.

While in college (people unknowingly thought I was taking the ‘easy’ way out by being a theatre major. Little did they know that, for me, it was a bit more than the M-F 9-5 classes) I would meet accounting or business majors and ask them why they were majoring in accounting or business.  Did they love math or business? The answer was No… The most common answer was, “Because I can make a lot of money.” Or, "I can get a good job."

I can’t imagine doing something that I was not in love with for 40+ years until retirement solely because of the ever longed for dollar. I know in certain situations it is a means to an end or out of necessity.  I can understand and get behind that.

However, it gets under my skin when I hear people saying ‘it's not my job’ (or yob) or ‘that’s not in my contract’.  I could understand it if you job was to clean out sewage pipes or fix issues with Black Water (sewage on a cruise ship)…  If I was responsible for that, and someone asked me to clean out an area that was not in my section, I would have to say ‘That’s not my job’.  Of course, I think if I was in that situation it was not because I enjoyed cleaning up Black Water, it was a matter of necessity.

That being said, when someone in this industry pulls out that line, or tries to get away with the least amount of work possible, it makes my blood boil.

I remember, back in the day, and a little closer to the current day for that matter, when I would work many long hours just to get the show up and running. I was not on the 9-5. I was on the 9 (or earlier) until it was all done…

Perhaps it was blissful ignorance of youth, but I remember when, working in community theatre, before partially driven by the dollar, when I would rush home from school, finish my homework because we had to eat dinner ASAP so we could get to the 7:00 rehearsal.

Everyone seemed to do that… The entire group, or a large portion of it would give 110% of their time and energy to get it done. We would finish a show, strike the set and head to the auditions for the next adventure (still with make up and sweat from the last performance on our bodies).

I keep hearing of this thing called a weekend… I am not exactly sure what people are referring to, but growing up Saturday and Sunday just meant a full day of working at the theatre building the set or rehearsing. Whatever it took…

I remember working three days straight in New York to get the show open in time. It was one of the best summers I can remember.

In recent years, the commitment does not seem to be there. They are willing to do the least amount of work possible. They are not ready to go that extra mile. They want to be the star and that is it. At a moment’s notice they are ready to say ‘That’s not my job, or that is not in my contract.’

Whatever is best for the show is the way I like to go about things.

I know people don’t want to be taken advantage of but still…

Perhaps ‘theatre people’ are a dying breed or they have evolved into something less than what they were. 

Perhaps the passion is not there anymore.

Perhaps the love, like the music, has died…

Perhaps the spark is still alive somewhere in the young or the young at heart…

I think I might be a little too young say, “when I was young…”

BUT… When I was young…

Oh well… I guess it is what it will be…