The Fine Line...
One of the things that is both the greatest pleasure and greatest frustration in my job is the number and variety of performers with whom I get to work. We've got a lot of people with us for the first time this year, and a few people that have been with us for several years.
You would think, after years of performing, the veterans would be the ones that would be the least troublesome. In a perfect world, or even (sorry for the jibe, Kevin, I can't resist) a union environment, that would be true. Lagoon is very definitely NOT a perfect world.
Our collection of veterans have managed to almost get the entire cast fired once. Individually, they have managed to get their employment status threatened again at least once each. And their joy in performing, which was once a very infectious thing to be around, has seemingly turned into a pursuit of their own self-indulgence on the stage.
I realized something tonight...and it's something I'll probably tell the newer, younger kids performing with us, because I know the older ones will just roll their eyes at me. But there's a fine line between a good performer and a great performer. A good performer always enjoys his time on the stage. But a great performer always makes sure THE AUDIENCE enjoys his time on the stage.
It's too bad our veteran performers can't figure that out. They are, quite possibly, the most talented group of individuals I've worked with in my time at Lagoon. They are also, unfortunately, the most self-indulgent group I've worked with...and that's REALLY saying something.
Or, maybe I'm just getting old and bitter. But I don't think so. I don't feel particularly bitter...just annoyed and disgusted at times. The full-time season is half-way through--maybe the second half will be better than the first.
One of the things that is both the greatest pleasure and greatest frustration in my job is the number and variety of performers with whom I get to work. We've got a lot of people with us for the first time this year, and a few people that have been with us for several years.
You would think, after years of performing, the veterans would be the ones that would be the least troublesome. In a perfect world, or even (sorry for the jibe, Kevin, I can't resist) a union environment, that would be true. Lagoon is very definitely NOT a perfect world.
Our collection of veterans have managed to almost get the entire cast fired once. Individually, they have managed to get their employment status threatened again at least once each. And their joy in performing, which was once a very infectious thing to be around, has seemingly turned into a pursuit of their own self-indulgence on the stage.
I realized something tonight...and it's something I'll probably tell the newer, younger kids performing with us, because I know the older ones will just roll their eyes at me. But there's a fine line between a good performer and a great performer. A good performer always enjoys his time on the stage. But a great performer always makes sure THE AUDIENCE enjoys his time on the stage.
It's too bad our veteran performers can't figure that out. They are, quite possibly, the most talented group of individuals I've worked with in my time at Lagoon. They are also, unfortunately, the most self-indulgent group I've worked with...and that's REALLY saying something.
Or, maybe I'm just getting old and bitter. But I don't think so. I don't feel particularly bitter...just annoyed and disgusted at times. The full-time season is half-way through--maybe the second half will be better than the first.
posted by Curtis at 10:13 PM
1 Comments:
that sucks man. i try not to be, and i certainly hope when i'm on stage that i'm not self indulgent. there are two traps i think alot of folks fall into when on stage: not giving a damn because they've either been given little direction, or have a small part so they think they don't need to give a damn. or becoming so taken with the part (or being on stage) they have they some how think they are the most important individual on stage. well, i think Chris Martin put it best when he said "Nobody is unreplacable." that's an attitude that will, with luck and following, keep me right on task when i'm on stage. ultimately if you are not there to bring forth the vision of the production, and not enjoying your time, your wasting your time and everybody elses.
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