Author Topic: COMMUNICATION: Dealing with trouble technicians who are also housemates  (Read 2695 times)

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workinhard853

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I work at a theatre that just recently turned from a summer regional theatre to an all year regional theatre. In this switch the technicians were contracted to have housing provided, we had cabins at our outdoor space. Since the change into full year the upper management has kept to contract and found the technicians a house near our full year space, about 30 minutes away from our summer space. Five out of Six full time technicians are all living in this one house. We all have our own room, except the couple who are dating and chose to live in the same room, so we all have our own space but we share the common areas. We are around each other all of the time and one guy has made tension in the house rise very high. I don't think he realizes it, he started sleeping with another technician while dating another girl who lives halfway across the country.
The tension he has started has risen higher because he said if we don't hire his girlfriend from across the country for our summer season he will leave. He has now brought the tension of the situation from our house into the workplace with this move. Now he is a good sound person and right now we are having a hard time finding a good second for him let alone being able to replace him if he leaves.
How do I get him to realize that he has caused this tension that is just poisoning the good nature of these company members?

loebtmc

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How rare it is to find a marriage where people are in each other's faces 24/7 without strife. I understand the company's financial solution of finding one house, but having no place to go and be with other people 365 days of the year is just cruel and unusual punishment. You all need places and times to be in spaces that have nothing to do with the theater and nothing to do with work companions.

First, frankly the theatre should start looking for another sound person yesterday.

Second, they need to help you find alternative living spaces before you kill each other. Or a neutral space when you need a break. Think about how strenuous and lengthy the process is to find compatible companions for living colonies or space exploration. This, on the other hand, is being treated like a reality show.

Given the situation, and the fact that right now you guys have limited power, you have a few options. You can 1) take the gent aside and quietly tell him the problem, if he is someone who will listen - alternatively have the whole house calmly and nicely sit down w this person and explain that they are causing turmoil for everyone; 2) find another place to live and move there (maybe with the entire company of techs); 3) present this as hypothetical to someone you trust in the office and ask for advice; or 4) quit en masse (or threaten to quit en masse). Of course, you can also inform on him to the gf across the country. Or make sure the girl here knows of his condition to bring that person to your house.

But regardless, tension amongst y'all will only build if there is no outlet or clean space, and if it hasn't already, will seep in the work and the level of snark inside the theater, creating problems in the workspace.

workinhard853

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Thanks for that helpful advice, I'm keeping it in mind for later. We just found out that he, and his current girlfriend, are both dropping their contracts with us to go to another theatre this summer. This puts us in a bind for the next show because he's leaving before the winter season is finished but we are dealing with it and are now looking for a good sound person and a stitcher.