What happened to Committment?
Wed, 25 Feb 2004, 10:37 amHarbour12 posts in thread
What happened to Committment?
Wed, 25 Feb 2004, 10:37 amThere used to be a saying "The show must go on".
People were committed to a particular club (or two) and that no matter how bad the play was, or how unbearable the situation, there was a commitment from everyone involved in a production to carry on. There was a dedication to the audience to go ahead. That seems to have been lost over the last few years.
Now, actors are only interested in performing for themselves - stuff the audience, and if my ego gets hurt, then there is no hestitation in pulling out - stuff the consequences. And I can understand and sympathise with some of the reasons. It is very distressing to the self when there are 'problems' with a production, or a person, that can make the rehearsals very unbearable, and I think there isn't a time in every show when I would like to quit. BUT, we are not in this for yourselves. We do this to bring entertainment to others and by pulling out of a production before it goes up is a disappointment to the audience and to everyone else involved. Not to mention the cost of reimbursement of memberships, royalties, publicity, tickets, etc.
But this appears to be the way of the future, and it's sad. Virtually every club is struggling to find committed members to run the Club, or do backstage or FOH. It is often left to a few overworked and dedicated individuals, while all the rest flitter from club to club to perform, then move on when the going gets tough.
Well, it's not good enough. That is why productions and theatre's fold - no commitment. If you are going to perform in a show, be committed, otherwise DON'T waste yours and our time coming to auditions.
There, I got that off my chest. Now, is there anyone out there that cares?
People were committed to a particular club (or two) and that no matter how bad the play was, or how unbearable the situation, there was a commitment from everyone involved in a production to carry on. There was a dedication to the audience to go ahead. That seems to have been lost over the last few years.
Now, actors are only interested in performing for themselves - stuff the audience, and if my ego gets hurt, then there is no hestitation in pulling out - stuff the consequences. And I can understand and sympathise with some of the reasons. It is very distressing to the self when there are 'problems' with a production, or a person, that can make the rehearsals very unbearable, and I think there isn't a time in every show when I would like to quit. BUT, we are not in this for yourselves. We do this to bring entertainment to others and by pulling out of a production before it goes up is a disappointment to the audience and to everyone else involved. Not to mention the cost of reimbursement of memberships, royalties, publicity, tickets, etc.
But this appears to be the way of the future, and it's sad. Virtually every club is struggling to find committed members to run the Club, or do backstage or FOH. It is often left to a few overworked and dedicated individuals, while all the rest flitter from club to club to perform, then move on when the going gets tough.
Well, it's not good enough. That is why productions and theatre's fold - no commitment. If you are going to perform in a show, be committed, otherwise DON'T waste yours and our time coming to auditions.
There, I got that off my chest. Now, is there anyone out there that cares?
Re: Alan Parker film, 1990, great soundtrack
Fri, 27 Feb 2004, 11:57 amWalter Plinge
crgwllms wrote:
> Professionally, once an offer is officially made, there is a
> certain number of days later after which you need to decline,
> or accept and sign a contract...and then you're legally
> committed. But yes, I think the show of commitment starts at
> your first audition, if you take yourself seriously as an
> actor.
While that ideal may work in a purely theoretical world, in practice it's never going to hold up.
Sometimes a production can go bad, no one in control is doing enough to stop it from happening, and all you're doing is baanging your head against a wall until you get a concussion. I'm not saying the production discussed here was like that - I couldn't say - but sometimes it happens. And if a show goes that bad, there's sometimes nothing you can do but pull out and save yourself the grief.
G.
> Professionally, once an offer is officially made, there is a
> certain number of days later after which you need to decline,
> or accept and sign a contract...and then you're legally
> committed. But yes, I think the show of commitment starts at
> your first audition, if you take yourself seriously as an
> actor.
While that ideal may work in a purely theoretical world, in practice it's never going to hold up.
Sometimes a production can go bad, no one in control is doing enough to stop it from happening, and all you're doing is baanging your head against a wall until you get a concussion. I'm not saying the production discussed here was like that - I couldn't say - but sometimes it happens. And if a show goes that bad, there's sometimes nothing you can do but pull out and save yourself the grief.
G.
- ···
- ···
- ···
- ···