Oh The Drama!
This was in 2002, and I had recently completed a degree in Theatre and Performance (yes, a VERY useful qualification). I had no idea how unprepared this would make me for the working world. I was panicking a bit in the months after graduation, so I leapt at the chance to work for a theatre company that was run by a friend of mine’s dad. I had met this friend at Drama School, and his dad was very well known, so I knew it was a legitimate company, not just some fly by night enterprise.
I went for an interview with Mr E, who told me that this job would involve managing the theatre, doing publicity, stage managing the shows (and doing the lights and sound) as well as handling the theatre dinner bookings. And all he could pay me was R2,000 a month (To put this into perspective: R2,000 is just under $200) but I was promised the glory of commission if I filled the theatre every night. I was filled with compassion for his heart wrenching speech about the realities of being an artist, and seduced by his lies of it being physically possible to fill the theatre EVERY night of the week when it was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. His idea was I put on my own shows….with what budget? Anyway.
I would drive the 40 km to work, be there at 8 a.m. and do all the dogsbody work in the office (I had to sort out the recycling for them on one memorable occasion), leave for the theatre at about 5pm, put up the show, handle the front of house, sweep the stage and leave when everything was over at about 11pm. R2,000 a month for a 15 hour day?
Not only that, I was also asked if my cell phone could be used as the booking line for the theatre. Naively I said ‘sure’, not realizing that I had to be available at ALL times for the theatre, from being called at 6am on a Sunday morning, to having dinners, movies and all kinds of social engagements interrupted by theatre goers. And if I wasn’t available I would get called in with a kindly, “Darling, don’t you love the idea of theatre? Please always be there for us…” from Mr E, the emotional blackmailing bastard. I lasted for four months. And now I lecture in the Drama Department of my Alma Mater!
Don’t you guys have a minimum wage…? I’ve done crew work on concerts before, and we’ve always been explicitly paid minimum wage, or not at all if it was a volunteer job (and even then, it was made damn clear). It’s also hella rude, and I think illegal, to make your personal number one that they use for THEIR business.
R is that the Rand?
Sounds like he just wanted someone to run the place for him while he sat back and reaped the benefits.
I have some friends that have worked in theater in New York City and none of this sounds like it would be unusual for a small theater outfit. You work in theater because you love it and you’re happy to put in insane hours. Sounds like you were given great responsbility but didn’t have the drive or the work ethic to handle it. Otherwise, you could have quickly built a reputation in the business that would have led to bigger and better things. I know people who would kill for the opportunity you were handed.
Jeff, you might be right about that if the owner himself had been the least bit interested in theater for theater’s sake, and not just making money without having to lift a finger.
Wow– that’s one hell of an exhausting job. Well written, too.
Yes, it is Rand – and to put it further into perspective, my rent was R3500 every month, so even if I had the stamina or work ethic (thanks Jeff, New York ain’t Cape Town my friend), I actually was physically starving. It just wasn’t going to work out! It was a really sweet theatre actually, at the back of the Olympia Bakery in Kalk Bay – any South Africans know it?
Jeff, are you flippin’ serious? I’ve been in theatre for seven years and 15hr days ALL the time, asking to use her PERSONAL line for box office, wanting her to run lights/sound/stage manage, are you out of your damn mind?
This guy was way out of line. I’m glad you got out, even if it did take you a while to wise up.
I had a friend who was a theater major as well (he went on to act and direct a few plays later on in life), and even on the smaller productions he worked on, there was a large enough crew working behind the scenes to make sure everything ran smoothly. At least this isn’t one of those jobs that you stayed on for too long before you got out, although I’m sure those four months felt like four years!
Ditto on Faith’s comment. Jeff, you’ve got to be kidding. With 25 years of theatre work under my own belt (and living in NYC), I’m appalled, though sadly not entirely shocked. There’s paying dues then there’s getting duped. This was WAY above and beyond what any person should tolerate, regardless of experience. Glad you got out.
That’s our Jeff for ya!
I stand by my comments. The fact that a couple of you have been fortunate enough not to have to work under these kinds of conditions doesn’t change the fact that others do it every day and are grateful for the opportunity.
Jeff, you must be mentally retarded. No one should be used this way. This was no opportunity. This was a hustle. I would be ashamed of my comments if I were you; they reflect that you really didn’t read the story.