From USITT. SO HILARIOUS.

Recently I got told that I’m “too possessive over my props”. 

This was all said by my technical director.

I’m going to share with you two stories here.

One:

In high school I was the props wrangler/master for our productions (every single one). One involved a starter gun. I had just gotten it from the drama teacher and put it in the road box. A fly crew guy (who also happened to be a friend of mine) pulled it out because I trusted that he wasn’t going to do something stupid with it. I told him he could take a look at it. He ended up firing it off right next to my head. Like, literally six inches of less from my ear. I was deaf for two hours in that ear. It also quite possibly affected my hearing to this day (I’m slightly hard of hearing).

Two:

This happened today. I am borrowing a nightstick from my technical director (yes, same guy). It’s $150. I’ve also made two replicas of it out of wood. He found his nightstick on the floor where it could easily be stepped on in a recent rehearsal. He told me if it wasn’t treated right he’d pull it from the production (he has every right to). So I went to the SM/ASM team and told them they needed to make sure this didn’t happen again. It happened again today (but I found out about it before he did). So this time, I went to the SM/ASM team and told them they absolutely needed to make sure this didn’t happen again, then I told the actor who used it the same thing. They both said the quick change dressers had a hand in it to, so I told the head of Wardrobe and then tracked down the specific quick change dresser. That specific dresser, while I was explaining why she needed to make sure it was taken care of, started to simply walk off. Later on I saw her spinning around one of the wood replicas and I told her she needed to stop doing that because I needed it to last the entire production and I don’t really have time to fix it or replace it. She walked off mid-sentence on me then too, rolling her eyes. 

One important piece of information: I don’t have a props wrangler on this show. I have to rely on the SM team, the actors, and whatever other crew members happen to have time to cast an eye toward the prop table. I need all eyes on the props that are expensive or borrowed so that they can be taken care of. 

My TD told me that I needed to have less of a mindset of “these are my props” and more of “these are the show props”. But that particular night stick belongs to you. It’s not mine. It’s not the show’s. It’s yours. And you’re possessive over it because you want it back in it’s original condition. This is also my mission, to keep the props in their original condition for the entirety of the show. If I treat them like they’re just everyone’s then nobody seems to want to take care of them. When I emphasize that they’re someone else’s or worth a shit ton of money, then they get respected more. 

The cast and crew during the run of a show need to treat props like they’re a caregiver to these props. They can take them out and use them but they need to be returned in proper condition. People (cast & crew) don’t seem to understand that I can’t just pull props magically out of my ass if they break them. It takes time and effort. 

I understand if something is broken on stage and it was an accident, but if it’s broken because someone was fucking around with something they should not have been, that’s when I get angry. 

As for the dresser’s dismissiveness: My area of expertise is the props I’m about to hand you for a show. I know everything about them. I know what their made out of and how they need to be on stage. Some of them I built, so I know where their weaknesses and strengths are. So you really need to listen to me when I tell you about them. This may look like an ordinary night stick, but there can always be special circumstances associated with it. I’m not trying to treat you like a child. You just don’t know as much about this prop as I do. 

And yes, I need to re-explain these things to you. Because sometimes I can assume you know how to handle it, but I need to make sure. I’m sure as hell not reliving going deaf for two hours just because I thought you could handle yourself without my explanation. I cover everything when I give props over to a show. I need them to understand what the potential problems are going to be and how they can avoid them. I need them to understand how to take care of the props. 

Deep down, as much as I want my props to come back unharmed, safety is my number one concern. I am always concerned about potential harm to my actors and crew. My explanations for these props go beyond just “if you do this you might break it”, they sometimes branch out into the “don’t handle it improperly or you could hurt yourself or others” and that’s why you need to always listen to your Prop Master. 

As you all know, I have an internship at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.

And I live on the west coast.

Which means nearly every time I tell someone I have said internship, this conversation follows, nearly word for word:

Me: I have a summer internship in New Jersey. 

Person: Wow. Cool. Do you have friends or family there?

Me: No.

Person: Isn’t it hard to be away from your family for that long?

Me: Uh, yeah sure, but this is for the benefit of my career and future.

Person: Don’t you have a boyfriend? Doesn’t it just kill you not to be around him?  

Me: Yeah, it’s difficult but, we made it through last summer just fine. He supports my career decisions as I would support his if he wanted to go off somewhere far away. If he thought it would benefit him or it was a dream he wanted to seize, I’d stand behind him all the way and he does the same for me. 

Person: I can’t stand the thought of not being around my boyfriend for that long.

Me: It’s only three months.

Person: All I’m saying is, I wouldn’t be able to do it. 

I just don’t get it. This kind of response doesn’t really happen when someone goes away to college for four years. But I go away for three months and that’s major! 

My family, boyfriend, and friends are ultra supportive of me. They all know that I’d love to travel and work in some of the big cities like NYC, Vegas, or LA. Working in Seattle for the rest of my life may disappoint me. I want a career. I don’t want to end up in my hometown from now until the end of eternity. This doesn’t mean I don’t love my parents. But I’ve wanted to leave this state since I was in high school. We couldn’t afford for me to go out of state, so this is my chance. And I am getting some amazing opportunities! Why would I want to put a geography-based limit on my dreams? How are other people not curious about all these amazing places they’ve never been to before? And all the other incredible theatres throughout this country? If you turn down an opportunity it may never come back again! I’m not one to let something incredible pass me by because I’ll have to move away for a couple of months! 

I am ambitious and my friend and family know this. And they know that if I end up moving to NYC, it’s not because I don’t love them enough to stay, it’s because I’m going to live my dreams, god damnit! And nothing is going to stop me. 

I have to bring a portfolio. Awesome. I’ve made like three in the last month. I guess fourth time’s the charm.

Aw well, should be fun to explain to the high school technicians how vastly different it is in the university/professional world. 

I’m excited!

fuckyeahthespianpeacock:

Conversation went as follows:

Me: (Looking up internships in the design lab)

TD: (Bursts into the room) Hi!

Me: Hi!

TD: You want a job?

Me: Sure.

TD: Paid?

Me: Yes please.

TD: Good. Tell [theatre department admin] to reinstate you so we can get you back on the books as soon as possible. Bye! (Leaves)