I have been thinking a lot about professionalism and how theatre folk who are doing things correctly take it to a whole different level. I have seen some very unprofessional behavior in the past few months and it makes me crazy! I am such a stickler for following the chain of command, showing respect to your “superiors” (even sometimes when they haven’t earned it!) and following the rules, that it not only infuriates me when others don’t, but it makes me even more over the top about doing what I think is the right thing.
I had someone recently, who beat me out for a part, send a facebook message to me saying she had the part before anything had been announced. It was a shock to hear it that way and I thought it was very unprofessional! The announcement was very boastful as well!! Not a good trait in general! (This same person was in a play with me recently and spent lots of time telling others how to do their roles instead of working on her own!)
For those of you who are not actors, at the end of rehearsals the director gives you “notes”, things they want done differently or suggestions on what to think about when you are doing a certain line, inflection or movement, whatever they want done. Some directors give notes in private, one on one or by email, but most just tell it in front of everyone. I am OK with it in front of everyone because it tells me what others are doing in case I need to adjust, it helps me with ideas for my part and if the director is way out there, it lets the cast know I am not acting like a drunk chicken because I thought I should, but because the director told me to!
Lately I have seen a lot of actors give notes to other actors. That is something you should never do! Worry about your own lines, your own character, your own motivation and do not get in anyone else’s business! If their performance is interfering with yours, then talk to the director- not the other actor. This is good advice for people of any profession- do your own job and don’t tell others how to do theirs. If you have a problem, see your boss. If it is not big enough to bother the boss, then drop it!
The next thing I have seen a lot of lately is trying to place blame elsewhere. People don’t learn their lines and then when they start talking at the wrong time, they want to point to the other person. If you mess up, mess up big and then say “I messed up!” Learn your lines and don’t mess up the next time. Don’t start pointing fingers at others. During notes I have heard tons of excuses. The director tells an actor to do something and they have a million excuses as to why they did what they did. They weren’t sure what to do, they had a bad day and forgot, they were sure the director told them something else the last time, and on and on and on. Guess what? There is one right answer- Yes sir (or ma’am)! Thank you! If the director said something different last time and you are confused, talk to her privately later. If you had a bad day, no one cares, do what you are told. If you messed up, were confused, lost the moment, whatever, again- no one cares!! Yes ma’am, thank you!
How wonderful would life be if we all gave up making excuses when things didn’t go right and we just said, OK thank you, and did better the next time!? A lesson I learned in college was to take the note, say thank you and think about it overnight. Before college I always had a reason (excuse) but I learned! If you still have a huge issue with the note, then talk to the director privately. Maybe they have a good reason for asking you to do it a certain way- a good director will make that clear. Maybe they just want it that way for no reason and you just have to go with it! Either way, find out and move on. Another great life lesson- sometimes life makes no sense. You question it and sometimes you can figure it out, sometimes you can’t. Either way, just move on!
Last night during rehearsal I ended up in a totally different spot during a scene. Working with newcomers and kids makes things kind of wild and although I am the kind who picks a way that works and goes with it, sometimes you have to adjust. (I had a director recently who wanted everything to be “organic” and told us nothing. In other words, he really did not direct at all! Every night was a new world and I nearly lost my mind!) Between losing the part for the other play and other issues going on in my home life, I was in kind of a funk when I got to rehearsal. I am professional enough to leave that at the door (another lesson everyone should learn!) and I focused on the show. I was trying to live in the moment (one more good lesson for everyone!) and when we entered the scene I was forced to be on the front row instead of my usual back row seat. It made me look right at the actor playing the minister and although I have read the play a dozen times and researched all of it, I really listened for the first time. The “minister” seemed to look at me and his words seemed to burn into my brain. I heard it as if the words were brand new. He said, “In everything, give thanks!” And I realized not only was he right, but this is why I do theatre. Not only are we telling a story to the audience, we are telling it to each other. We are told as actors to listen to each other, not just worry about our next lines, but listen. Last night I was to the point where I knew my lines and I could listen. As the actor playing the minister spoke, I felt tears run down my face. And I hope the audience next week will listen as intently as I was. In everything, give thanks. You lose a part, you have troubles? Give thanks! Life is hard and things happen- give thanks!
Theatre is a microcosm of the world. It teaches lessons, tells stories, inspires, and cheers up those watching if done right. If people will mind their own business, work on their own research, remember to say thank you when given a note and really listen, the actors in the play can also learn and be inspired by what they are doing. And to that I say- yes and thank you! Amen!
