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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: First Hard Show with Difficult Cast -- Please help
« on: Dec 11, 2006, 12:28 pm »
Ok....this post will probably get me killed...but here goes.
First of all, I'm glad you are working things through....doing this is just too much work unless you are getting some satisfaction out of it. I stage manage and I direct in a CT setting. I am orgainzed, dedicated and respectful in whatever job I am doing. I feel that part of your problem is that you felt you should do your job one way and the director another. If the director is ok with some people coming in late, then let it go. To make a fuss over it only puts you at odds with the director and causes the cast to "choose" a winner. If the director wants to spend 15 minutes talking about set design or costumes or whatever, it's not really up to you to decide what he should be doing. It is not your responsibility. You may be right but being right has no value if you have to get upset and stress out all day. I'll be honest, when I am wearing my director hat, the last thing I want is a SM telling me what I should do with my cast. When I am working as a SM, my main job is to ask the director "what do you need?"
I know there are good casts and bad. I've had both. If you have a nasty cast that loves a good drama, then being at odds with them will give them lots more to talk about. As for being trashed behind your back....I hate to say this, but it's part of the deal. You can't please everyone, and the ones that can't have their own way will blame someone and most often it's you.
Bottom line is.....in CT there is little you can do ....they are volunteers, and maybe they really are driving an hour or have a sick child and they have a day job too. Just do the best you can with what you have and try to not focus on what "should" be but on what "is". You are half right...you don't have to care on an emotional level, but you need to care from a job point of view. You don't have to care if they like you, just care that you did the best you could with what control you have. Focus more on what you can do and less on what you can't and things might lighten up.
I'll go hide behind my desk now.....
First of all, I'm glad you are working things through....doing this is just too much work unless you are getting some satisfaction out of it. I stage manage and I direct in a CT setting. I am orgainzed, dedicated and respectful in whatever job I am doing. I feel that part of your problem is that you felt you should do your job one way and the director another. If the director is ok with some people coming in late, then let it go. To make a fuss over it only puts you at odds with the director and causes the cast to "choose" a winner. If the director wants to spend 15 minutes talking about set design or costumes or whatever, it's not really up to you to decide what he should be doing. It is not your responsibility. You may be right but being right has no value if you have to get upset and stress out all day. I'll be honest, when I am wearing my director hat, the last thing I want is a SM telling me what I should do with my cast. When I am working as a SM, my main job is to ask the director "what do you need?"
I know there are good casts and bad. I've had both. If you have a nasty cast that loves a good drama, then being at odds with them will give them lots more to talk about. As for being trashed behind your back....I hate to say this, but it's part of the deal. You can't please everyone, and the ones that can't have their own way will blame someone and most often it's you.
Bottom line is.....in CT there is little you can do ....they are volunteers, and maybe they really are driving an hour or have a sick child and they have a day job too. Just do the best you can with what you have and try to not focus on what "should" be but on what "is". You are half right...you don't have to care on an emotional level, but you need to care from a job point of view. You don't have to care if they like you, just care that you did the best you could with what control you have. Focus more on what you can do and less on what you can't and things might lighten up.
I'll go hide behind my desk now.....
the rest of my stuff I carry in a back pack.