After a long absence, Ranting returns to my blog

Ok, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think Im good at what I do in the theatre. Im always on time, I mostly always do what needs to be done, and I generally never forget anything that causes anybody to die. So it pisses me off that I have not ONCE been asked to stage manage a show flat out, with no emergency involved. A good example, and the one that is upsetting me today, is JC Superstar.

Now, this is a strange complaint, sorta, considering I REALLY DONT WANT to do another show right now. But it seems to me very insulting that no one has even asked. Reason being, Ive been PRESENT when everyone who has turned down the position to the director, J, said they couldnt do it. Travis, the stage manager for Cabaret, turned it down REPEATEDLY, the final one culminating in straight telling J he would not do it during one of our smoke breaks. So John says, "well, I guess I gotta find a stage manager." He looks directly at me, then walks away.

Now, as Ive told countless people, Cabaret was the last in a line of shows I have done with MTD, going back two years. I have worked on EVERY SHOW THEY HAVE DONE. So its not like they dont know who I am, or what I can do.

The reason I am upset this morning is that I found out from E3 who IS stage managing. We'll call him R. R is a sweet sweet guy, and very friendly, and I guess I could see where he knows SOMETHING about theatre, but its like being turned down for a great acting role and the director giving it to Larry Storch from F-Troop. I mean, is that the protocol? Wait until we've asked everyone who is really good and proven, then ask the people who arent that great, then Nutcase?

I know how R stage manages, I think, because HE THOUGHT HE WAS STAGE MANAGING GODDAMN CABARET.

*Opening night! We are a few minutes into the opening, and R comes up to me at my post to tell me he can't hear out of the speakers. I immediately tell Adam, the sound man, and he cranks em up a bit. R tells me AGAIN, he can't hear ANYTHING from the SPEAKERS. I talk about it with Travis, and decide to get off and see what I can hear. I immediately take off my headset and am bowled over by the crisp and clear sound of every FUCKING thing thats onstage. I walk throughout the building, and can hear nothing but more of EVERYTHING ONSTAGE. I walk back, get on headset, and tell everyone I can hear fine. R walks up, again, and asks how the speaker problem is coming. "We can't hear anything, back here."

*Picture if you will, the night after opening night, half way through the first act, when one of the side screens next to the orchestra falls over. Now, as soon as I notice this, Im on headset with Travis, and we're working out a plan. I get off, round up my crew people, and tell them what the plan is. I walk up to the screen, which lies just onstage, and hear R tell a few actors that surround him, "Well, there's nothing we can do." I had to just pat him on the shoulder and say, "Thanks, buddy. Tell you what, why don't YOU get ready to go onstage, and I'LL worry about how to run things back here."

Now, as I said, R is a sweet guy, and his wife helped my mom and I find the house we currently live in. But as I said, Im a little upset that they looked at him, glanced at me, and said, "I would much rather have someone mediocre than someone who is under the age of a hundred." I mean, who was NEXT on their list? Betsy? Atilla the Fucking Hun?

As always, remember that I dont mean to sound egotistical, or jealous. But WHEN's GON' BE MY TIME, LAWD?!? WHEN'S GON' BE MY TIME!?!?