The Director Sector

For those of you just tuning in, I’m in  the middle of a multi-part blog series called Project: Introspection.  Previously, I discussed the importance of having a “more than just get it done” attitude.  Read on for the next part in the series.

One constant in theatre is that it requires cooperation among those participating.  Theatre demands that participants work together cooperatively for the production to succeed.  There is no room for huge egos or selfishness, for “we” versus “them”, for divas or know-it-alls.  The project succeeds only if the participants can come together in the spirit of teamwork.

Putting on a show requires a variety of different jobs to be performed:  writing/analyzing a script, directing, acting, hanging lights, sewing costumes, marketing, box office, sound recording and mixing, ushering, and much, much more.  There are often many different conflicts that arise when these types meet, including creative differences, scheduling conflicts and stubborn personalities butting heads.

It’s important that a team be able to work through these difficulties, especially if you don’t like your crew members.

A few years ago we did a production of this wonderful show called Jesus Christ Superstar.  I played one of the soldiers.

The guy who normally directed the musicals, we’ll call him Doc, was adamantly opposed to directing Superstar.  The costume designer (we’ll call him Fred) stepped up to the plate.  And a great job he did, thanks to his musical background.

The problem lay in the interminable contention between the costume designer and the technical director.  They seem to think at perpindicular angles to each other.    Fred wanted a cross that would support the weight of Jesus and allow him to be lifted up a few feet off the ground.  He wanted the cross to light up behind him for an extra dramatic effect. 

Six months before opening night, the TD said “No problem.”

Fred also wanted Judas to be able to hang himself in front of the audience (or at least make it look like he was hanging himself).

Again, the TD said “Not a problem.”

Fast forward six months.  It’s now a week before the production.  There is no cross and no noose.

As usual, the TD had gone off and done his own thing, ignoring the wishes of the director.  Now, had the TD said “That’s not possible” at the beginning, then this wouldn’t have been a problem, but Fred had been promised that it wasn’t going to be a problem and that the requests would be fulfilled.  They weren’t.

As a result, the final scene of the musical fell a little flat.  The cross was a simple wooden cross with no special effects (a dramatic departure from the rest of the musical, which was heavily laden with special effects).  Instead of Judas hanging himself, he walked off stage and a dummy was lowered with a noose around its neck to the song of “So long, Judas…”

It sounds like a small thing, and the audience didn’t really notice, but knowing what went on behind the scenes, I was very disappointed in the lack of teamwork here.  The show could’ve been BETTER.  In my last post, I wrote about having a “more than just getting it done” attitude.  The TD had a “just get it done” attitude.  I helped out in the scene shop a lot, and there were plenty of days where we sat around waiting for instructions from the TD rather than working on the cross and noose.  Plenty of time to get these things accomplished.

But instead of pushing the limits, instead of putting that extra effort in to make it better, the TD slacked off.

The show was a success.  But it could’ve been an even bigger success had the TD cooperated with Fred, whether by explaining that it wouldn’t/couldn’t happen or by getting the project done.  

Cooperation would’ve made it all possible.