Author Topic: PEOPLE: "Overstepping" Director  (Read 6128 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

SM19

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • A Keyhole View of Krysta's Kaleidoscopic World
  • Affiliations: Kabaret Charitable Foundation
  • Current Gig: North.Light Theatre (Actor); Webseries "Butterfly" (Principle actor)
  • Experience: Community Theatre
PEOPLE: "Overstepping" Director
« on: Sep 11, 2008, 07:59 pm »
Problem...the director is taking over my job.

I'm volunteering as SM in an annual show in my town that I've been involved with for the past 6 or 7 years now. She's a new director, with no experience. We have the same personality (which, let me admit, is kind of scary lol) and I really don't know how to solve this problem.

I know getting up in her face wont work, but I've talked to her before about this stuff and she's always said 'Oh yeah! Sorry! It wont happen again' and it always does.

The story: I SM'ed the show last year (for my first time) and ended up firing half my crew because they decided to go swimming on our tech rehearsal night. We only had 3 backstage crew (including myself) the the whole run (which worked out fine...dont get me wrong!). So this year, I get 7 people on my crew who are ready to work and who I know are good workers. Lots of them are very artistic, but she decides (without asking me) that she's bringing in one of her friends from her band to do painting because she wants to (after she's already told me that I don't need a big crew because there isn't that much to do this year...). Ok. I don't agree with it, but if she's already said yes to her, then fine. But i asked her not to do it again without consulting me on it first because I like to be in charge of my crew and pick who I know are going to stick through it and do hard work (so now...I'm up to 8, not including myself). She said that she was sorry and that it wouldn't happen again. WELL! All of a sudden, last week she decides to bring in this other guy who's supposably my ASM (and now i'm up to 9 people in my crew, excluding me. and that's only backstage. I have seperate sound/lighting/makeup/hair/wardrobe crew!). We've never had ASM's in this theatre before because, frankly, we don't need one. It's a small enough production that we just, dont need it! Not only did she almost give my job over to him, but he's almost taking it too (at least that's how I feel because he's very proactive..and I'm just probably getting the wrong impression).

I'm just about ready to tell her that she has to let my crew be MY CREW and not bring anyone else in. I don't know how to tell her this and still keep the peace. She's just like me and I know how I would react to that kind of situation if I was in her position.

Can anyone help me???? How do you keep the peace and tell someone to back off at the same time?! (just for reference, I understand she's the director, but she also told me that I'm on the same level as her and have just as much authority. I kinda get the feeling this is an age thing since I'm only 19? could that be?!)

PS. Totally off topic..but if you have any ideas on how I would tell her that, before I can get started, I need a script and a props list (not even..just a script would work). I've been asking her for the past week now, and she's telling me that her and the co-director are tweeking it. She promised it to me 3 days ago after her and her co-director/writer tweeked it, and I've asked her three times. She has yet to send it to me...she's also made the decision that she was just going to bring it to me on Sunday (at rehearsal) without informing me. I had a meeting today with my "ASM" (notice the quotation marks) and I had to cancel because I had nothing to show him without that stuff. Can anyone help me :S I'm lost...

Edit to subject line-Rebbe
« Last Edit: Dec 09, 2011, 06:55 pm by Rebbe »
Second Place in a Stage Managers Competition = Half of an Award Winning Stage Manager! :P

geoffsm

  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 68
  • Gender: Male
  • If we could read minds, we wouldn't need headsets.
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: SMA (Associate), SAFD (Actor-Combatant)
  • Experience: College/Graduate
Re: HELP! The director is taking over my job... :S
« Reply #1 on: Sep 11, 2008, 09:34 pm »
Ah...
Yeah, I've worked with a director who is similar to this.  In my opinion, you just have to stand up to a person like that.  Now, I don't mean get in her face and scream, I mean politely confront her in a professional manner.  If that doesn't fix the situation, then I would seek advice from a higher-up in the production, maybe a company manager if there is one, or the head of whatever organization is in charge of the production.  I had a heated argument once with my director because he simply wouldn't get the cast out of rehearsal on time.  I had to stand my ground until he agreed to get the home at a reasonable time.  Not gonna lie...it was scary.  Especially when you consider that he was the dean of the college of fine arts and I'm a theater major (and therefore a student in the college of fine arts).  But, you know...the cast and crew sure appreciated it and everyone was happier, healthier, and safer.  I also had problems when it came time for the show to open and he had to turn the show over to me.  He got mad at me one time because I didn't tell him of a minor wardrobe crisis that held the curtain for 10 minutes.  I just had to politely explain to him that the costume crew and I had it under control and that everything was fine and that the matter of when the show started was between myself and the house manager.

Also, ageism DOES happen, especially in community and educational theater, so you might be right about that.  I caught a lot of crap because I stage managed as a 19 year-old first semester freshmen (they didn't care that I had done it for all four years of high school and that it was my career goal).  It just makes it that much more satisfying when the show goes up smoothly..I think, anyway.

And as far as not having a script...that is just unacceptable.  You should be one of the first people to get a script...and you should have it WELL before the rehearsal process begins.  You should explain to her that there are certain managerial tasks that need to be completed, all of which require a script.

Well, I hope that helped...I know it's easier said than done.  I wish you luck.

SM19

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • A Keyhole View of Krysta's Kaleidoscopic World
  • Affiliations: Kabaret Charitable Foundation
  • Current Gig: North.Light Theatre (Actor); Webseries "Butterfly" (Principle actor)
  • Experience: Community Theatre
Re: HELP! The director is taking over my job... :S
« Reply #2 on: Sep 11, 2008, 10:19 pm »
I think I might just try that lol

But because this is a volunteer thing, there's only one thing higher than her, and that's the Kabaret board members...of which she is a part of. lol

But thank you so much for you opinion, it's really helping in the decision that I'll be making :) (I think life would be simpler if this was a paid thing...but life sucks like that lol)


THANKS SO MUCH!!! :D
Second Place in a Stage Managers Competition = Half of an Award Winning Stage Manager! :P

loebtmc

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 1574
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SAG, AFTRA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Caroling, caroling now we go — and looking for my next gig!
  • Experience: Professional
Re: HELP! The director is taking over my job... :S
« Reply #3 on: Sep 12, 2008, 12:06 am »
you can sometimes get a script by showing up and waiting til it's in your hands - and also nicely explaining that you know it is undergoing changes, but where it is right now is fine, it gives you a jumping off place and that way it'll be easier for you two to work together as she changes things because you will have the basic foundation to work from. Changing things - moving them around or eliminating them - is easier than starting from scratch, eh?

SM19

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • A Keyhole View of Krysta's Kaleidoscopic World
  • Affiliations: Kabaret Charitable Foundation
  • Current Gig: North.Light Theatre (Actor); Webseries "Butterfly" (Principle actor)
  • Experience: Community Theatre
Re: HELP! The director is taking over my job... :S
« Reply #4 on: Sep 12, 2008, 08:31 am »
Definitely...but that's the problem. I told her that! lol...she's just unwilling to give me one apparently :P But I'll try that on Sunday, see what she does or if she even brought on with her.
Second Place in a Stage Managers Competition = Half of an Award Winning Stage Manager! :P

Nic Sedivec; SM

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 14
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Community Theatre
Re: PEOPLE: HELP! The director is taking over my job... :S
« Reply #5 on: Dec 06, 2011, 12:28 am »
I am in a similar position in respects.

The show I'm SMing currently is being directed by the vice president of the board of directors. I thought things would get better once we opened and they haven't. As much as I hate to admit, I am just letting him do it. He and I have had at least three professional conversations about overstepping (one that included our producer) and they didn't help. He's an actor in the next show I'm the SM on and I want to keep a semi professional relationship with him for the next production.

I know that it's our (cast and I) show. They know it. Most of the crew knows it. We just sit back and do our jobs and let it slide off our backs. Then we all go to our respective homes and usually do the following: vent to significant others, drink (big kid drinks), or do our paperwork and go to bed knowing we rocked our respective jobs at that performance.

I wish you the best of luck with this situation. I know how frustrating it is. I'm in week 10 of it. (Yes, he insisted on an 8 week rehearsal process for an 11 show run.)

You'll be awesome. Promise.

PSMKay

  • Site Founder
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 1357
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • http://www.smnetwork.org
  • Affiliations: None.
  • Current Gig: SMNetwork *is* my production.
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: PEOPLE: HELP! The director is taking over my job... :S
« Reply #6 on: Dec 06, 2011, 01:45 am »
I'm sure she was fine, although the issue occurred back in 2008. :)

I think you're taking a (relatively) healthy attitude towards the situation though, Nic.

Rebbe

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 271
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: PEOPLE: HELP! The director is taking over my job... :S
« Reply #7 on: Dec 09, 2011, 06:53 pm »
The show I'm SMing currently is being directed by the vice president of the board of directors. I thought things would get better once we opened and they haven't. As much as I hate to admit, I am just letting him do it. He and I have had at least three professional conversations about overstepping (one that included our producer) and they didn't help. He's an actor in the next show I'm the SM on and I want to keep a semi professional relationship with him for the next production.

I don’t see this as something you should “hate to admit.”  Look at it as a fine example of flexibility.  The stage manager should be the ultimate collaborator, and especially in non-union settings, this collaboration may entail letting other people do things that you see as your job.  Because we want to be the best stage managers we can be, it’s natural to worry about things you feel you could do better than the director.  One thing I tend to think about is how permeable the boundaries between our two jobs really are, and there are a whole range of ways for tasks to be divided up effectively. 

I would maybe try to look at the director’s perspective as well, that he is overstepping because it’s easier than explaining what he wants done.  Maybe he’s had bad experiences with SMs in the past and is worried about giving up control.  If you are able to be supportive, and help in whatever ways he will accept, you may find this builds trust between you and he will be more open to sharing the load with you in the future. 
"...allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster."  (Philip Henslowe, Shakespeare In Love)

BeccaTheSM

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 153
    • View Profile
    • Becca Pickett
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Experience: Professional
Re: PEOPLE: "Overstepping" Director
« Reply #8 on: Dec 10, 2011, 10:42 am »
On the show I'm currently working, the comapny's Artistic Director is one of the actors, and his wife is the director (and she also was the set designer). Oh, and their two kids are in the show too. So there are a lot of different hats flying around. I've found that it helped to discuss all of these hats with them at the beginning of the process. So as we went through rehearsals and performances, I made sure to start our conversations with "I'm talking to you as the Artistic Director" or "...as the director" or "...as parents" etc. so that everyone knows what part of the communication chain we are dealing with at the moment.

I got a special added gem during last night's show because one of our crew members was too ill to run the show, so our director stepped into the track -- so I got to be her backstage boss for the night. So there was yet another hat.
Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos. - Stephen Sondheim

 

riotous