Fabulous Geek

I received an Email today from a stage manager i have worked with in a couple of plays. Included was her account of what transpired at her job recently. here’s what she said:

November 24, 2005

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This is Jeanine M. Williams, Stage Manager to the stars and a Professional Starving Artist. I hope everyone is well and enjoying their Thanksgiving Day/Weekend. The Ashanti tribe in Africa has a saying, “Anticipate the good so that you can enjoy it.” I’m imagining that you are doing so.

I won’t beat around the bush with this email, because as many of you know, that’s not my style. I need a favor from each, and hopefully, every one of you. It’s a matter of artistic integrity and professional stability. I sincerely need your help.

One of the many (whew!) jobs that I have undertaken this holiday season is a part-time Stage Management position in the Entertainment Division of Stone Mountain Theme Park. I am running one the Christmas-themed productions, “Home for the Holidays,” in the park’s “Crossroads” area. This is my first season at Stone Mountain, or SMTP for short, and I’ve been with them since late October. Unfortunately, as of yesterday, I have been indefinitely dismissed/ suspended from SMTP due to an isolated incident involving a confrontation that I had with one of the actors from my show.

The edited version of the incident goes like this: Last Sunday, November 20, I arrived at work to go about my daily responsibilities as SM for “Home for the Holidays.” As usual, I bring my CD player, CD’s, and snacks that I share with the cast and crew on occasion. (Um, snacks.) Anyway, one of the Stage Mangers, who just last week had no problem munching down my snacks and bobbing his head to my music, pulls me aside to inform me that “the CD player has got to go.” Although I didn’t understand the abrupt change of mind, especially since none of the music I played was suggestive, explicit or otherwise “unclean,” since he was above rank in the department, I complied without complaint.

The funny thing is some of the cast and crew members took issue with me because I took the CD player - MY CD player - away. As a result, a few of them had attitudes with me the rest of the day. When I gave a call time, they questioned it, “My watch says 15 minutes, not 10,” or “I go by the clock on the wall, not yours.” When the tent where HFTH is performed began leaking major puddles, and I had to hold start time to clean it up BY MYSELF, one of the actors chided, “You do know it’s after 8:00, right.” Not one to let some things, but not every thing slide (’cause you have to pick your battles), I responded, “I know what time it is. I’m walking around with a timer practically glued to my hand, and you’re asking me do I know it’s after eight? I’m trying to mop up puddles and plug up leaks, if that’s alright with you.” Before this guy, Carl, could give me more attitude, I cut him off and gave the signal to start the show.

What does Carl decide to do? He decides to change some of his lines in the show to reflect the thunderstorm that was happening at the time. So, instead of “the trees are all over the train tracks because of all this snow,” he says, “…because of all this rain.” Now I know that it’s a Director’s prerogative to alter script, but the director wasn’t there! Carl’s doing this a week after we’ve opened! I know I’m not the only one that noticed because my sound/light board operator commented on it.

After the last show, I go to the green room, a double-wide trailer, to give Carl my note,? If the script says snow, then you say snow.” I was very ticked off not because of his gross misjudgment during a performance, but because he was one of the “peanut gallery” that has disrespecting me all day. So when I confronted him in the men’s dressing room and made my comment, I was stern, but soft-spoken. His response was to snap at me, “O.K. fine, but I need to talk to you alone, because I need to teach you about some things.” I said that whatever he had to say to me he can say to me right now, since he was being so bold and brazen. He said, in a very patronizing and derogatory raised voice, that he was going to finish putting his costume away and then he would “take care of me” and “deal with me.” I took that as a threat, so my decision was to (verbally) defend myself. I started yelling back at him, and our conversation obviously became extremely heated. I went into the “lounge” area of the trailer, took off my hat and coat, and continued to argue with him as I waited for Carl to come out of the dressing room. He never did. In fact two Stage Managers (including the one who commanded me to remove my CD player) went into the dressing room and closed the door in my face. As I continue to wait for Carl, I can hear strains of him making comments about me as he and the others laugh.

Meanwhile, an actress from HFTH is trying to calm me down by suggesting that I’ve “just had a bad day. Go home, calm down and get some sleep.” I admit that initially I didn’t follow her suggestion, because I refuse to be treated or talked to like a kid in a Day Care center. I have a B.A. in Theatre. (Summa Cum Laude with a 3.96 GPA, thank you very much.) I’ve been a part-time, non-Equity Stage Manager for 10 years, 4 of those in the ATL. I’m not new to the game; I’m true to the game. Check my resume, it’s a fact. After 5 minutes, I relented, grabbed my things, and left the trailer to clock out and leave the park. I could still Carl and his cohorts laughing as I walked out of the door.

By Wednesday, my next scheduled workday, I was over the incident, but my guard was up. It’s a shame, because I consider myself to be a fun, funky “people person,” and I’d like to think that I treat everyone and talk to folks with humility, humor, and hubris. Still, I was willing to put the episode behind me and move on. After all, it’s not the first conflict I’ve had on a production, and it certainly won’t be the last. My attitude was good, until the Entertainment Director called me over to “explain what happened on Sunday” to her. After I gave her my account, she informed me “that it’s best that we part as friends.” In short I was fired for “immoral, profane conduct in the presence of minors.” The conduct in question was not the argument itself, but that I used profanity. That’s right; I was fired for cussing out an actor after a show. In the green room. Far away from all and any patrons.

BTW, the “minors” were a couple of 17 yr. old ladies from another production who, as R.Kelly would probably attest, do not look 17. What was I supposed to do, take a survey before I confronted Carl and ask them to leave the room? As far as the cursing goes, although I admit my mistake and I apologized to the Entertainment Director, I’m confused and insulted to be dismissed for that. She said it was to protect the morals and values of the department, especially the minors, and of SMTP itself. Now ya’ll know, dropping a curse word or even a sentence full of them is nothing new to me. I don’t deny it or dismiss it. But as I once told my Mother, “I know how to act in public.”

Plus, between performances I’ve heard people talk in that trailer like HBO is filming one of those late-night “educational” series. You know what I’m talking about. Profanity, discussions on oral sex, anal sex, threesomes (of every variety, trust me). Whether it was in jest or serious, I’ve heard it - from the same people accusing me of immoral, profane conduct. Matter of fact, the ringleader of the inquisition, Mr. Carl, once asked me during a conversation about singer/actress Vanessa L. Williams, “Is it true that Rick Fox gave Vanessa Williams herpes, and that’s why she divorced him?” For the record, I have no idea, but weren?t we just talking about her Christmas album?

Had I known that when I was offered this job, that I would be reliving my junior-high school years, 18 years later, I would have turned them down. Now I realize I’m working with two-faced, self-important, self-righteous, double-talking hypocrites. I might as well be Colin Powell. Hello!

However, I also know that you don’t hit a person who’s packing heat upside his dome with a stick and expect him to just stand there rubbing his head. Fortunately, I don’t like weapons and detest violence, but like Malcolm X, I believe in self respect and self-defense. I also believe in the old saying, “Don’t start none, won’t be none.” If I have to leave SMTP, then Carl has to go also for his part. If he hadn’t struck first, then I wouldn’t have had to strike back, especially since earlier that day I had decided to just let go and let God and walked away from him and all the others who rubbed me the wrong way, and I avoided those individuals the rest of the day. Everyone else I was still kind to, albeit a little sullen. BUT I WAS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE PROFESSIONAL. I DO MY JOB UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND I WILL DO IT SUPERBY. Those who know me, whether we’ve worked together on five productions, one production or none, can affirm that.

Now, that I’ve said all that, this is where I need YOUR help. The Entertainment Director, Ms. Lynne Dundon, has agreed to meet with me, my detractors, and the HR Manager in an Arbitration to decide if I can continue through the remainder of my contract, which is seasonal. I’ve been asked to write a letter of my account of the incident (which you’ve read above). Please note that I was fired without any verbal or written warning from the department, and that this was my first and only incident with the department.

But you see, what she underestimated is that I have you, my fellow artists, on my side. At least that’s what I pray. The Atlanta Theatre Community is thousands strong. And I have proudly been affiliated with it for going on 5 years, even more because this is my 2nd time back on the block. So I’m asking, praying, wishing for each of you to take time in your busy holiday schedules to write to Ms. Dundon. It can be a statement, a paragraph, or, if your loquacious like yours truly, an epic, but please write to her. Regardless of my fate at SMTP, she and her staff need to know that we may just do plays, but we don’t play that. Are you with me? I’ll buy you a cookie. (O.K. that would constitute bribery, and I’m in enough trouble with SMTP, so I’ll recant that particular statement. But I’m sincere about everything before that.)

Lynne Dundon’s email address is: LDUNDON@stonemountainpark.com. Her office number is 770-498-5673, fax# 770-413-5059. Her title is Entertainment and Wardrobe Manager.

You can cc: me if you wish. I won’t be hurt if you don’t. Either way I appreciate your support. This is more than just getting fired from another job - oh please. It’s about my life, art, and livelihood. The longer I wait for this arbitration, the less I collect in my check. And you know what I always say, “If you can’t support the arts, then support the artist - ’cause we’ve got bills!”

Thanks in advance for your consideration and cooperation. God bless, and gobble gobble y’all!

Regards,

Jeanine
404-401-0699
jandbs2ndkid@hotmail.com

Now, I know jeanine. She was the stage manager for “Lost in Yonkers” (well… she was, but then quit… and so did the director…. and so did I… and so did my understudy…. it was impressive. Needless to say, don’t do stuff at cobb playhouse!) and she was also the stage manager for our play in “The 24 Hour plays” in which a collection of plays that are written, rehearsed and put on in 24 hours. none of them are longer than 10 minutes.

Anyway, to my point. I know her. She really is a nice person. I also happen to know Actors can be serious divas (of course, I’m one, this is how I know.).

Knowing these 2 things i will send Lynne Dundon an email. I just need jeanine to approve my draft.