It made me ill when I read the article and I've followed it closely since then. This summer I'm helping one of the small pilot theatres adapt the Code of Conduct. I posted about the code on the Chicago board shortly after attending the unveiling of the code and meeting the Not In Our House team. There is another meeting this week and honestly, 'excited' does not begin to describe how I feel about attending.
I don't know what I would have done in that situation as a stage manager. I would like to say I would have been all up in someone's business, but as a young stage manager, it's terrifying to think of being put in that situation, and from what it appears, have my concerns swept under the rug. The fight choreographers would have been my first call, and from there I probably would have done some severe soul searching and been fired after calling out the lead actor.
And jman, I completely understand your position since you did not witness what the article describes. I appreciate that you took a step back to consider what you could have contributed to the interview and felt it best not to participate.
Tempest, thank you for sharing. You are absolutely right.
Listen to your instincts. Hold tight to your courage, sense of worth, and boundaries for acceptable behavior. Advocate for those weaker than you. Find your resources. Be willing to cut and run. Speak fearlessly about what has happened to those outside the situation. In the sort of institutionalized circumstances described, that's all you can do.