Things that I learned this summer, part 1
Your attitude and the way you work is just as likely, if not more, to get you work than your talent alone.
You can have the most stunning voice in the world, or be physical perfection to behold, but (not to put too fine a point on it) if you're a bitch no one's going to want to hire you. Not twice, anyway.
Basically, people in the industry are friends. Not just in general, but with each other. This week, I heard two of our tutors talking about their current projects during one of the refreshment breaks. They were perfectly discreet, and nothing definitive was said, but the gist was “we really need to go for a drink, and I'll fill you in”.
Directors don't work in a bubble, and here's the rub – neither do you. If you piss off wardrobe, stage management, the choreographer, the MD, the director, even another actor, you're not doing yourself any favours. Not only can you bet the whole company will know of it before long, but theatre is an incestuous old bird – you can bet there are plenty of people in other companies who will hear about it. And, unless they all, personally, know you well enough to know that you're having a “tough time” at home, or that you were just having an off day, your reputation will precede you. What's more, you have to work doubly hard to get people to spread good things about you. It's not (just) that theatre is bitchy, but also that it's human nature.
The fact is, we seek out good recommendations, but we give out criticisms. Negative experiences take energy to deal with – they're not easy. That stay in the front of our minds and worry us, so when's something's troubling us, we're likely to talk about it. Moreso, perhaps, for creative expressive types.
When you're applying for a job, don't for one moment think that a director, if s/he recognises other names on your CV, won't call that director/MD/choreographer friend to say “What was N like to work with?” Because if I was pouring all my time and energy into something I'd sure as hell want the best people on my team. Theatre is difficult, pressured and intesive – the last thing you need is to have someone awkward, troublesome or bitchy on your side. There are going to be plenty of problems and restrictions along the way – time, budget, the dreaded critics – why would you put more trouble in your own court if you could avoid it? You wouldn't. Well, I wouldn't.
Skill and talent is all very well, but working relationships count for a LOT.
There's a really unfortunate stereotype that actors are flaky, bitchy and irresponsible, but more often than not this isn't the case. And where it is, unless you can leave it outside the rehearsal room, you won't work much. It's a very, very small world.
That's not, of course, to say that all actors, MDs, directors, choreographers, dancers etc get on wonderfully all the time – of course there are going to be personality clashes, and unless you're in control of the hiring and firing (which, purely on numbers, is unlikely) you're just going to have to suck it up.
But what lots of young (and not-so-young!) primadonna actors forget is that being an actor is a job. It's a weird, wonderful and thrilling one, and we're the luckiest people in the world if we can get to do it full time, but it is just a job. And professional courtesy counts just as much in this industry as in any other.
You can have the most stunning voice in the world, or be physical perfection to behold, but (not to put too fine a point on it) if you're a bitch no one's going to want to hire you. Not twice, anyway.
Basically, people in the industry are friends. Not just in general, but with each other. This week, I heard two of our tutors talking about their current projects during one of the refreshment breaks. They were perfectly discreet, and nothing definitive was said, but the gist was “we really need to go for a drink, and I'll fill you in”.
Directors don't work in a bubble, and here's the rub – neither do you. If you piss off wardrobe, stage management, the choreographer, the MD, the director, even another actor, you're not doing yourself any favours. Not only can you bet the whole company will know of it before long, but theatre is an incestuous old bird – you can bet there are plenty of people in other companies who will hear about it. And, unless they all, personally, know you well enough to know that you're having a “tough time” at home, or that you were just having an off day, your reputation will precede you. What's more, you have to work doubly hard to get people to spread good things about you. It's not (just) that theatre is bitchy, but also that it's human nature.
The fact is, we seek out good recommendations, but we give out criticisms. Negative experiences take energy to deal with – they're not easy. That stay in the front of our minds and worry us, so when's something's troubling us, we're likely to talk about it. Moreso, perhaps, for creative expressive types.
When you're applying for a job, don't for one moment think that a director, if s/he recognises other names on your CV, won't call that director/MD/choreographer friend to say “What was N like to work with?” Because if I was pouring all my time and energy into something I'd sure as hell want the best people on my team. Theatre is difficult, pressured and intesive – the last thing you need is to have someone awkward, troublesome or bitchy on your side. There are going to be plenty of problems and restrictions along the way – time, budget, the dreaded critics – why would you put more trouble in your own court if you could avoid it? You wouldn't. Well, I wouldn't.
Skill and talent is all very well, but working relationships count for a LOT.
There's a really unfortunate stereotype that actors are flaky, bitchy and irresponsible, but more often than not this isn't the case. And where it is, unless you can leave it outside the rehearsal room, you won't work much. It's a very, very small world.
That's not, of course, to say that all actors, MDs, directors, choreographers, dancers etc get on wonderfully all the time – of course there are going to be personality clashes, and unless you're in control of the hiring and firing (which, purely on numbers, is unlikely) you're just going to have to suck it up.
But what lots of young (and not-so-young!) primadonna actors forget is that being an actor is a job. It's a weird, wonderful and thrilling one, and we're the luckiest people in the world if we can get to do it full time, but it is just a job. And professional courtesy counts just as much in this industry as in any other.
posted by Tegwen at 20:46
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