Author Topic: The things we give up for theatre  (Read 8859 times)

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nick_tochelli

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Re: The things we give up for theatre
« Reply #15 on: Feb 05, 2013, 08:30 pm »
The major ones, family weddings...funerals...but I gave up my health to theatre most of all.

Late hours, no sleep, living off caffeine and energy drinks, midnight $1 a slice pizza, frozen dinners, thousands and thousands of cigarettes, alcohol to numb a bad tech, alcohol to celebrate an opening, unhealthy relationships....I've lost my pinky toe nail, done nerve damage to my left elbow, hyper extended my right one multiple times, worn down my knees, nearly crushed all the fingers on both hands, electrical shocks, burned, cut, splinters etc...

I thought when I left to sit behind a desk I would miss it. I found that I just don't. My swan song production to me was the best way to cap my career and that part of my life. I was the calm center in a sea of chaos, adapted to severe technical difficulties Etc etc. I was sad because I finally felt every thing click for me as a stage manager and I would be walking away after and what could be now that I had this revelation.

But I will always know what it was.


Thespi620

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Re: The things we give up for theatre
« Reply #16 on: Feb 06, 2013, 06:49 pm »

Late hours, no sleep, living off caffeine and energy drinks, midnight $1 a slice pizza, frozen dinners, thousands and thousands of cigarettes, alcohol to numb a bad tech, alcohol to celebrate an opening, unhealthy relationships....I've lost my pinky toe nail, done nerve damage to my left elbow, hyper extended my right one multiple times, worn down my knees, nearly crushed all the fingers on both hands, electrical shocks, burned, cut, splinters etc...


I'm on this side of it now too. I was finding that I wasn't happy with the insanity of the SM schedule during my last two shows, and was coming home complaining about rehearsals and not being able to perk myself up with why it was worthwhile. And sure, the consistent hours of my current job are great, I love having weekends free, and I like the people I work with quite a bit, but I really miss the people I met while I was SMing consistently, and I miss the stories they tell and the insane things I learned how to do while I was a part of that world. Hopefully this Spring will bring me an opportunity to be a part of both worlds, on a piece with a marvelous creative team I've worked with before who understand my schedule & commitments and just want to work with me--that's the best.

I honestly think the best part of the theater world, and what makes it worthwhile for me, is those days/processes where you walk in the door and everyone is genuinely happy to see you--not just any SM, not just a fellow castmate--arrive. My closest, lifelong friends are theater people, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
[The SM is] a very gifted, slightly eccentric master mechanic [keeping] a cantankerous, highly complex machine running at top efficiency by talking to it, soothing it, & lovingly fixing whatever is broken. 
-J. Michael Gillette

 

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