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
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