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« on: Oct 25, 2005, 12:07 pm »
I have worked for a summer stock for 4 years now. I like everyone else who posted here have war stories about working my ass off and never complaining or collecting overtime and definately NEVER had an assistant even when I begged and pleaded with the Producer. But i won't go into any of that becauase it is basically the same as everyone else. I do want to say two things.
First, Adam suggests that you can get a volunteer or an intern to come in. I have tried to get even a free assistant stage manager, an intern, I have even found someone to work for free with me. But my producer still would have to house this person since the theater was in the catskills. He wouldn't even do that. I tried to reason with the producer and we had hour long chats about this problem but he still would not budge. So i lost out and did yet another season doing everything myself.
Second, like Marci, i also got sick during a summer season. Though it wasn't back problems it was strep throat. I, unlike Marci, told them that I couldn't attend tech, opening and a few performances of the show because I was just too sick to function. I spent those days in utter agony lying in bed feeling guilty for what I had done. But i really could not function. I could barely speak, i had a fever, i couldn't swallow so i didn't eat for about a week. I thought that the company really understood this and was simpathic to my illness. After all, i have been there working hard for 3 three other seasons and never once had even a cold or missed a day of work! But later when I was better, my producer and I were chatting and he said something to the effect of, "Well we know what a pussy you are when it comes to sickness. You act like a baby when you get even the slightest sick." I almost quit on the spot!! I finally stood up for myself and did what I needed to do...i mean i had strep throat for goodness sake! Not to mention four days after I was diagnosed i was sitting in rehearsal with a blanket around me, no voice trying to give lines to people for the next show in the line. And he has the balls to tell me that I was a pussy! That is what i got when i stood up for myself. I get called weak. I don't think i will put myself through another summer in that place. So much for standing up for my health issues.
Stage Managers are supposed to be inhuman, power hungry, never stop working kind of machines, and when we have a breakdown or get injured people worry about the stability of their workers. What a prodcer has never broken down? We are human and should be allowed to say no with some respect and not fear the loss of our jobs or the respect of the others we work with.
A delicate balance lies around here somewhere.
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