NEGATIVITY IN THEATRE
NEGATIVITY IN THEATRE
Especially bad when encountered in a member of a production team. They are a bane to existence and success. Not someone who just states "I have a concern about...." These people AWAYS are having concerns. Complaining often follows soon thereafter. In fact they often already have a history of people who, once free of them, will not work with him/her again. These people end up just completely draining you and making you feel exhausted. They hinder progress. They kill enthusiasm can even trigger feelings of depression. They will argue about definitions, minutia, not try to bridge problems and not offer realistic solutions. In fact they often just delve into the impossible.
The negative person does not always realize they are. Essentially they can become energy vampires and black holes of destruction to your team, ensemble or even the entire company. This person may be consistently trying for a reaction. Perhaps she/he needs to feel important and acts this way to be heard. Sure, whining is not attractive after a certain age... but they don't see it that way. Eventually it will become a destructive force.
The person creating negative feeling often lacks people skills, is not 'diplomatic' and does not believe in (or practice) thinking what they say before they say things. They say it is just 'How they feel' (which is their right - but it ends up working against them. Be sure it does not work against your theatre mission and goals.
Occasionally an actor may have fears and frustrations and make some negative comments about a scene. Quickly remind them that it can have a negative effect on the other actors/scene partners, may dampen the performance and rather than being 'public' instead they should bring it to you if you are a stage manager or director.
What to do with these people?
Avoidance is ideal. Isolate their effect like a cancer. If you are stuck with them in a project - cut the cord after it's all over and join the rest of those in their history.
THE UNPROFESSIONAL SABOTEUR!
This person is another evil! I witnessed an actor who accepted a role and then, because the actor was unhappy with a scene, (like the tail trying to wag the dog) said that that the playwright said it was OK to change those things. First, it is unprofessional to go over a director's head (even if he director is an idiot) and his/her vision. Second, it turned out that the actor LIED! This attempted manipulaion is unforgivable and the actor should be cut immediatly from the cast. This type of person can never be trusted and will likely cause problems among cast members and hurt the production. If an actor says she/he can't do something - then all should admit they made a mistake in casting that person. The attempted grand manuipulation is still unforgivable and unprofessional.
HOW PRODUCING THEATRE IS LIKE ROCKET SCIENCE:
Producing good theater and creating a space program have, in principle, much in common. Consider these three 'rules" as stated by a famous rocket scientist when faced on a daily basis with the gargantuan task of building a vehicle to take humans to the moon.
1- It's just big - that's all. You put it together piece by piece.
2- If you can buy it (at a reasonable cost) - do so, if you can't then modify something. If not - invent it.
To those who just talk or slow things up:
3- Either do your job or get out of the way!
And finally to the nay-sayers, negative people, those that constantly whine or who slow up progress by continually stating and restating the obvious and waste time just meeting:
3- There's an old proverb about two flies who fell into a vat of milk. One protested and kept sinking - then finally gave up and drowned. The other kept beating his wings until he eventually walk out on a surface of butter.
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