So I’m going to write a play about this some day, but I found this article interesting. Ian and I were talking recently about the nature of theater in Austin and why everyone is so damned nice to each other. I think this highlights what’s really going on. People in theater do appear nice to each other. They might even offer to get you a Mountain Dew. But the only thing keeping them from pouring in the bleach is that they know that they’ll have to work with you again, because the town is too small and word travels fast.

I recently got some comments from two seperate people after they weren’t cast in a show. This show was not-LGT related, btw. The level of anger was amazing, the vitriol spouted against friends was so unexpected. So watch out Actors, your best friend might just be biding her time with a Mountain Dew and a bottle of bleach.

Of course I personally think I’m immune to this, because I’m a playwright. Playwrights aren’t very competitive. I think. We’ll see if any schenanigans happen at 2am while we’re writing our Slapdash shows. Maybe I should buy some tamper-proof seals to put on the coffee pot.

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Comments

Julie

2006-06-03T18:41:52.000Z

When I was in high school, I would get so upset over roles I would seriously wish for bad things to happen to the person who had the role I wanted or the role I was understudying.  It’s really sick.  When I got an understudy part in Steel Magnolias my junior year, I cried so hard through my first period Chemistry class I flunked the test we were taking that day.  And I sat and pouted in the back of the first rehearsal.  Of course, I shortly found out that the girl cast was probably going to be moving, and indeed did move, so I got the part and that’s why the director had put me as the understudy.  But it was hard.  I also understudied a chick who wound up failing all her classes the week before the show went up and I had to scramble.  That pissed me off since she’d had a bunch of incompletes and the chances she’d fail were high.

I no longer see fellow actors as rivals.  I mean, grow up, we’re living in Austin freaking Texas doing community theatre. This ain’t Broadway, baby.  But I can still get very disappointed when not cast.  I wish I could move past that, but it can really hurt and feel like a personal rejection.  But I’ve been on both sides of the casting table and I understand that the person who doesn’t cast me means nothing personal and is still my friend.  I’ve been not cast by some of my closest friends and watched roles I wanted go to my closest friends and while I  may be upset I didn’t get cast, I don’t hold them responsible.  And it’s just stupid and petty if you do.