I don't mean to sound self important... but I'm warning you that I might. I'm in a play at the moment, playing a suporting role... comming into this role I knew two people in the cast, both of whom I've been in casts with before, they are playing another supporting part, and a lead. The other leads, the romantic couple, are played by the director's husband, and her best freind. Her freind can't project, and her husband is way behind the 8 ball on line memorizations, and can't be counted on to even stand remotely near where he's meant to, or even come on from the right side of the stage. I did not know getting into this that they were married, as the director kept her maiden name. I'm getting wholey confusing degrees of direction ranging from none at all in some sceanes (where I needed it, but any attempt to ask questions was rebuted with: "This isn't all about you,") to having the director ask me to stand aside, and then playing my part for me for a while, and then asking me to repeat that exactly. I'm being deliberatly vauge regarding the show, and my role in it... for fear of reprisals... but lets say... I'm one half of what amounts to a supporting, comedic couple (tho the charactors spend most of act one ragging on one another rather than co-operating... in that way that young un-declared couples often do.) I was told when I started that my missing 4 Wendsays of rehersal due to a college class, could be a problem and if I anticipated that I should pass the role down the line. So I moved my classes (cause it's a terrific role.) But the Director's best freind took off for a week, missing four consecutive rehersals... and her role is larger and harder to work around the absence of than mine. I've never missed a rehersal, but I have been reamed out severely for showing up a half hour late due to car trouble once.

I'm trying to be a good sport about all this. I do what I'm told and try not to talk back, since the director seems to belive I think the world revolves around me... But... it seems like the wor drevolves around her freinds instead. I was called out for replacing "couldn't" with "could not" ("You're playing a child. She's going to use contractions whenever possible, just like a real child.") and the director is talking about painting her husbands lines on the coffee table in the living room set so he can read them from there if he gets lost.

At this point in the ballgame, the show is gonna be how it's gonna be, and as long as my other half doesn't do what he keep saying he will and take his own liberties with the charactor when the curtain goes up on opening night, it should run smothely. Her best freind sounds fine with a body pack on, and we're all just getting used to the fact that a handfull of the husbands lines will nearly certainly be dropped... but they're nearly always the same ones so we know when they're comming and how to work around them.

Mostly what I'm worried about is, as bizzare as it sounds, finding some way to get into the directors good graces. I'm not a self centered person and it hurts alot to think that she belives I think the world revolves around me... I mean maybe I asked to many questions early on... but there has to be some way around this. This is my hometown comunity company and I don't want to get blacklisted as hard to work with. I've got to get out of the doghouse, cause I'm developing a complex... and if I've got to be afraid of the director, I'm not going to be able to act up to my full potential.

(And this is like the 4th time I've rewritten this post after thinking no... I shouldn't post about this, because they might see and hate me more... but I think I was vauge enough that they won't know it's me... I hope.)

My wife and I have both directed, and we made a rule:  no casting each other unless every other suitable actor on Earth was missing, dead, or suffering from bird flu.     I've painted sets for her, and even AD'd for her, but onstage?  No, uh-uh, bad mojo. 

Although if I ever DID do one of her shows, and I even remotely suggested painting my lines on the set, I would get yelled at for 36 hours straight, and until I had my lines absolutely cold, I wouldn't get any . . . dinner . . . at home. 

So let me get this straight: one actor is wearing a body mike, and the others aren't?  Unless you've got the best mixer in the world -- and probably even if you do -- that's going to stick out like a sore thumb.

About all you can do right now is grin and bear it; do the best job you can, and collect good stories for your forthcoming bestseller, "The Play I Did With The Biggest A**holes In The Universe."  (Or you could just post them here! )

And then never, ever work with this woman again.  Not if she's the only director for three hundred miles.  Not if she offers you the roles of Hamlet, Ophelia, and Gertrude in the same production.  As Tristan said, you don't want to be in her good graces, you want to be in her rear view mirror.  Based on your description, she's nepotistic, unprofessional, rude, uncaring, has zero artistic sensibility, and is frankly not very bright.

But this director must have some sway because her bumbling husband Burt (that's not his name but let's pretend it is... we'll call her Ernstine,) is cast often enough for the regulars in the company to already have a system for "Dealing with Burt." (Did I mention we're about to open and he still calls for lines?)

It just seems that no matter what I do, the director sees me as manipulative and self centered. I've learned now that if the director's within earshot, not to respond to somone who comes over to a group of us in the wings and says "what's next?" or "do I have time to go to the bathroom?" because only she is allowed to give directions, and only she is allowed to repeat her directions. Anyone attempting to help anyone who asks such a question, is being a "Backstage Director." Of course we're all doing it anyhow now that the director is out of earshot, and the stage manager would just as soon see us solve our own backstage problems rather than raid her prompt book, and it's her baby now (though the diector still stopped us to change things even after the "It's out of my hands" speach.)

I just need to get this director to see that I'm trying my best here, and not trying to overthrow her power or make the show about me. I ask questions to ensure I'm not messing up or upstaging one of the leads, since I'm cast in one of those zany scean stealer type roles, a somewhat psycotic little 14 year old girl with a big knife, and I don't want to overdo it. I've always had to be carefull to deliberatly avoid drawing focus on stage, even when standing still... so I really have a danger of doing so when carying around a big knife and affecting that posture that goes with being a 14 year old who thinks she's the center of the universe. . . dear god... typing that I've just thought of something... is it possible that despite the director telling me to play the charactor as a "self centered brat" that she might have actualy started thinking I AM my charactor? (For the record, I'm not a meathod actor... I always drop charactor pretty quick once I hit the wings and clear the sightlines.) He does tend to adress me by charactor name rather than mine...

Edit: Wow... two replies while I was writing mine... Thanks both... POB, I'm sorry I wasn't clear. We're all wearing body packs, as it's an outdoor venue... (Final dress got rained out after act 1 and we had to get evacuated to the extra space.) I try not to think about that cause the director came over and got a bit snarky when the sound folks were trying to find a place to put either end of mine on my costume... (it's got a clip that won't come off so spirit gum to the face is not an option) since I wear a cape that's on and off, and take a fall on my butt that prevents the pack from being placed in the back of my dress. We just wound up putting the mic end a little frather down my front... I project well enough that it's not an issue, and the pack down the front of my skirt, where it hides well behind my giant corset belt thing... I'm 1/4 techie so I'm actualy pretty self sufficient backstage. In my Jr. High School and High School companies as a kid ensemble members doubled as running crew and props assistants, as well as set construction peons durring long rehersals. I loved it... I keep meaning to do running crew again, cause I just love being a cog in the wonderful machine that is a Musical. And I talk too much. *Shaddups.*

Oh, and I wouldn't do Hamlet anyhow... I'm no good in iambic pentamater... I belong in musicals and farces.

POB14 my husband and I have the same rule. I won't even SM a show he is in anymore not because we don't get along but it seems to make some people upset. Like I would play favorites!

Could it be that this woman is as tired of her husbands line problem as everyone else she just hides it to spare herself a fight at home?

I have found working in theatre that many of us have more than one personallty, Who knows she may be a very different director when hubby is not in the show.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be great. What is the show?

Heh... well to be honest... if I told you what the show was, you could figure out pretty easily what part I play... and I'm kinda afraid that the director will be mad if she stumbles onto this. The other trouble is... Ernstine is fairly nice outside of rehersal. She had us to a bar, and once to her house... and Bert, tho flustered, frustrated and behind the 8 ball is generaly a wonderfull person. Ernstine has said several times point blank that they don't hate us (more than one cast member feels this way) but that's not reflected in her actions. You'd be suprised to know the number of trivial detail changes I've made to avoid being recognized. (In case anyone from the cast has stumbled in and deciphered this muddle, I appologize if I changed your gender to further disguse who I'm talking about.) Her freind is also a really great woman, and I really don't want to hurt any of these people's feelings.

Basicaly everyone in the show is terrific, but we would all benifit if people were all getting ridden as much as some of us are... and the mimmic thing is frustrating and makes me feel that the director doesn't trust in my ability to act.

But now I kinda want to tell... cause I'm a bit proud of myself for getting the part. *Reads up thru things.* Well... to clear up the one blatant falsehood above... it's a kitchen table not a coffee table. So keeping in mind that I was attempting to disguise the identiy of the show with broad generalizations, and not false but certainly not the first description one would use desriptions of parts and sceans. I can't decide whether to reveal now what show it is...

So... my decision... to paraphrase a line from another person in the show... is not to decide. I'll just leave a clue... we're doing Sondheim.

Well you certainly have me confused.  I have one bit of advice....the truth will set you free.  Why don't you just talk honestly to your fellow cast members and honestly to your director.....maybe all of this secret frustration and lack of confidence in yourself  is actually showing through.  If these people are actually "nice" you should be able to talk to them.  If you can't sit down and discuss the problems openly then stop dwelling on them...get on with the job.  It may work out better than you expect....but if you expect a disaster you will probably get one.

I assume the show opens tonight?  Break a leg...let us know how it turned out.

Does this show involve a cow at all? 

Now that I think about it, there are at least two SS shows that involve young girls and cows.  More fodder for Sondheim deconstructionists, I guess.

Anyway, Joan has a good suggestion, but I think the best time for a clearing-the-air talk may have passed.  It's opening night, Janey's got to be on stage with the director's husband, and I could see where this discussion could get ugly.

ETA:  Joan is absolutely right in saying that if you expect a disaster that's exactly what you'll get.  Just go in with the attitute that you'll give the best performance anyone's ever seen.  One might even say, "No need to be afraid there." 

Break a leg tonight -- everyone here will be with you in spirit!

Ah I see. I love that one. Break a leg. and I must agree with my fellows above the truth will set you free, and you will feel better.

Rock on and don't drop the knife!

Hmmmm as a director... I would say NEXt time there is an "incident" go to her non-confrontationaly and say "I am not trying to be a pain, I just want to make sure I am doing it all right for you and the rest of the COMPANY!"

Sometimes, directors are unaware that they are showing favortism or (dare I say) being myopic!

Break a Leg... Fun Show!!! Just directed it last summer.

Susan