Beyond Therapy

The above caption names our current show and defines my mental state. If you can’t use your own blog diary to vent, what’s the point? It saddens me that toxic people would try to poison something as pure in spirit as a volunteer theatrical production.But egos have come in to play, and it’s no longer about gifting an audience, but rather who gets credit for what, who’s pissed off at whom and what alliances can be formed that will undermine the group spirit that had previously prevailed at SCT.

For good measure, throw in a director who has contributed little of value to the finished product, but who has grandstanded in the press and bad-mouthed the company to prominent community members. Sprinkle in a mediocre actor who loves to throw temper tantrums and bake at high heat by reading a barrage of insulting e-mails slung in every direction.

It is hard to handle this level of emotional drama when one is rested and refreshed. After a grueling week of set building, light hanging, and watching an unprepared cast struggle through basic dialogue, it becomes completely draining. Through it all, I have tried to take the high road. I have done what I could to make the show better, even though it meant asserting authority at times when I would have preferred not to. The result: a play that the audience has enjoyed, a lot of hurt feelings, personal exhaustion and some broken friendships. It didn’t have to be like this.