PROFESSIONALISM: Artistic Integrity?

[BalletPSM]

What do you do when you discover you're working on a show that you feel compromises your own artistic integrity?

Have you ever turned down a show because the subject matter didn't jive with you personally?  

Do you have a definite idea of where your own boundaries are when it comes to various material, or are you still figuring it out?

Discuss!

 

[MatthewShiner]

I think as far as artistic integrity, you have to learn as a stage manager to separate yourself from the artistic merit of a show - you have no control of it, so you have to learn how to get job satisfaction out of the project.  (Seriously, how many shows start out good and then tank?  - what are you going to do, quit?

As far as working on shows about certain material, that is something you learn where your boundaries are - I personally have very little personal boundary issues - so there is very little material I wouldn't work on - but I am finding, as my career goes on, it's about people I want to work with or not work with - not necessarily the material.

[jspeaker]

I am finding, as my career goes on, it's about people I want to work with or not work with - not necessarily the material.

AMEN!!

[SMrose]

I find that reading the script (especially a "new work") is helpful in deciding if I want to work on the project or not.

[MatthewShiner]

On the flip side, speaking as someone who does ALOT of classical theatre (So much, I am changing my middle name to Shakespeare), you can read the script, and be totally blindsided by the director's concept.

[nmno]

Frankly, as long as the check clears, I'm not as worried about "artistic integrity".  Maybe I'm cynical.  I look more at the production dept.  The one show I ever passed on was a musical w/ a lot of flying, automation and tricks at a theatre that did mostly straight plays w/ little automation.  I thought the show was biting off more than the theatre could chew and knew it was going to be A LOT of work on my part, more than I was willing to put in for the $$.
As long as I'm not morally opposed, I can suck it up, and make the show happen.  But I am thankful to be working on a show that I think is good...

[KMC]

Frankly, as long as the check clears, I'm not as worried about "artistic integrity".  Maybe I'm cynical. 

I don't think you're being cynical at all.  It's a business and you as an independent contractor need to make decisions in the best interest of your bottom line.

[Rebbe]

I don’t feel my professional integrity as a stage manager is necessarily tied to the artistic merits of the show.   It’s more about making sure my team and I are as prepared as possible for the demands of the show;  breaks happen on schedule, backstage is well organized, schedules are clear, coffee is made, etc.  My job is to support the artistic team, even if I don’t personally enjoy their creative choices.  If a show is poorly reviewed, I wouldn’t see it as a reflection on me (unless someone on the SM team was neglectful or incompetent enough to impact the whole run, and I’ve thankfully never been in that situation).   I also find that even when I don’t love the show as a whole, I’ll be able to appreciate some aspect of it, whether it’s the lighting, or an actor with a great sense of humor.

As for subject matter and boundaries, I’ll do anything.  The uglier the better, for me.  I love plays that are messy and unpredictable, that really challenge audiences to think when they leave the theater.  Bad language and a non-politically-correct approach are fine with me if it’s part of the play’s journey.  I worked one show that dealt with race in ways that made some people very uncomfortable, and one of the actors and I talked about what to do if someone from the audience got angry enough to get on stage and challenge him. 

[SM19]

It's just like saying 'Dont judge me by what my kid does, judge me for me' . . . I believe that if the show flops and I did my job, then its just the show that flopped. Artistic integrity for me is feeling as if I did all I could to make this show possible and run smoothly without incidences.

Unfortunately I cant comment on whether or not I've turned down a show because of the material because there aren't enough shows in this town to even consider turning anything down lol. What I have done is learned to adapt to the type of show it is and the type of demands it makes rather than turning it down.

I dont knwo if that makes sense or not...it makes sense to me though

[Libby]

I come from a background of really compelling/controversial theatre. And while I love it, there have been some moments where really graphic or unsavory things have happened onstage. Honestly the only way it seems to even slightly bother me is when violence/sex/language/etc. is used strictly to be controversial and has no real meaning/message behind it or when it takes you out of the moment.

Even when that happens I tend to keep my mouth shut (the one exception being when a young director asked me what I thought of a particularly detailed rape scene. I told him the truth of how I felt, and he actually changed the moment. Though I don't think I would have given my opinion unsolicited.)

[RParker2]

As a student, the concept of doing a show that I enjoy enough and would actually pay to go see is about as likely as owning a pet unicorn, which would be awesome.  Which is why I do the job not to be entertained, but to work with great people, as seems to be the consensus here, as well as dream of a day in the distant future when the shows I do will be consistently something to be proud of.

That said, I have to admit I'm often proud of the low budget activism shows i've done (especially prevelent in the university setting, I would think), because everyone else involved is so passionate about the message, it's hard not to care a bit.  I've done a number of these "statement making" shows for free or as favors in addition to my regular workload because I think experimental, community, political, cultural, etc etc theatre is really important from a society point of view and what have you.  Plus, it's nice to get shaken up out of that stage manager's apathy once in a while.  Though I have to admit.. if I weren't managing it, I probably wouldn't go myself.  And I'd rather do A Streetcar Named Desire anyday.

But to andswer the question itself, no, I've never done any theatre that made me squirm per se, but I have done a fair amount of "compelling/ controversial theatre" as well, and I've particularly enjoyed watching the "white heads" in the audience squirm from the booth.