The Impressario at Home

I didn't know for the longest time what I was going to write about today. I have told all I need to about the upcoming shows here at Grinder, things are pretty quiet at the Fergus Grand these days, and my whole "Naked Theatre" concept is still off being worked on in the far recesses of my mind. Thus stumped, I decided to let this post sit for a couple days (since blogger has now introduced the scheduled post I can write these articles in advance so as to avoid missing a posting on any given day).

Sure enough, today's topic has found me - me.

I don't like talking much about myself on this blog. Yes, I know a blog is supposed to be a personal reflection, but we have so many great things going on at Grinder, I'd much rather talk about those, and the people who are working hard to make those things happen. I also like to inform and educate about what others have to say about theatre, hence my links to other blogs. I'd even rather talk about The Naked Theatre, for while it is my idea, its development won't come about without input and co-operation from a great many people. I just don't think my life is all that interesting outside of Grinder Productions.

But like I said, the topic chose me, so today I will give you a glimpse into my life; as a producer, writer, director, marketer, designer, technician, actor, and everything else I do at Grinder, and what happens when I finally do call it quits for the day.

For starters, it's a lonely road sometimes. I can often spend hours alone during the day. We don't have any employees at Grinder, and most of the rehearsing gets done at night when everyone else is off work, so the bulk of my job is done in isolation, quite uncharacteristic of most other theatres. It has forced me to become quite skilled in many areas, and I have the hard way to think twice before I do something, when there isn't anyone else around to ask for an opinion or hold up the other end of the riser.

You might think it would be exciting, producing plays for a living. While it does have its moments, there are also periods of interminable boredom, and plenty of moments when you just wish you could go away. Lots of times you wish you could just start over, and, knowing what you know now, avoid whatever pitfall is producing inexorable amounts of stress. As you might have guessed from my previous postings, if I could have started over on this summer I would have replaced as many of the plays with men in them for as many all-female casts as I could find, thus avoiding sleepless nights, upset stomachs, irate directors, irate actors, un-prepared actors, ruined friendships (though no marriages!) and a whole host of other unpleasantries.

Despite the challenges around finding male actors, and despite the lonely times, people do abound in my life, and I'm forever wondering who it was that I just waved back at across the street. And I never have to seek out advice about what I should be doing both onstage and off: nearly every day I'm handed free advice about what shows to do, who is a "good" or "bad" actor, and just what I should be doing with all the free time I supposedly have (usually it's "Get a real job!" or some other words to that effect). It seems that no matter the source, everyone has the cure for whatever ails Grinder Productions. Some people even see ailments that I didn't even know were there, or were things I thought weren't actually problems but unique features of our company (we are named after the power tool - seriously).

Fortunately I've managed to figure out that you can't please everyone, and now I've stopped trying, which has decreased my stress levels considerably. I still listen to all the advice I get - much of it is quite valid and well-considered, given by people who genuinely have my best intersts at heart - but now I've learned to take it all with a smile and a grain of salt.

Time Management is another prickly area, and one that I've struggled with. Do you work a 40-hour week, a 60-hour week, an 80-hour week, or do you simply work until the job is done? And how does one keep six to ten projects in prep, production, rehearsal or performance at any one time and manage to keep track of it all and ensure everything is done on time?

I have to admit, it used to be easier when we had big "build and paint" days, where people would just come out with their tools and we'd have a big work day and the set would be built one day and painted the next. It was also easier when we had dedicated props and costume people who were trained and experienced, whom you could just hand a script to and stand back. Now I just build alone, for the most part, as well as paint, find props, costumes, build soundscapes, or do whatever needs done. It would be nice if we had a few more people in the technical areas, but even then it wouldn't make things happen much faster, at least not right away. A willing hand who's untrained by enthused is always welcomed, but nothing makes my life easier than a trained, trusted friend whom I can count on to get the job done with minimal supervision.

Nonetheless, somehow I manage to get it all done, or at least I am able to delegate it out to others (we do have some of those "trained, trusted friends" after all), and I've finally figured out that I'll never have everything done by the end of the day, so there's no shame whatsoever in calling it a day at 5pm if you've been working since 9am, even if there's no rehearsal you have to go to that night. As for deadlines, I make sure to leave myself as much of a "grace" period as possible, and one really big organization document makes sure that everything that needs to get done in a given week is accomplished.

Yes, there comes a point where I do stop working, however briefly. I try to take it easier on the weekends now, though there are still often things to do. I've tried a few times to take some sort of a vacation, but I don't think the company is in quite that good a shape just yet, so the fish are still safe for yet another summer. Once we get through the summer there might be a few days where I could be out of cell-phone range, but that's just talk between me and the world's greatest girlfriend at this point, though one can always hope.

Of course, these are still the early days of Grinder Productions. We've made it through five years, which is something of a milestone in business (and a considerable milestone in theatre), but I fully intend to keep this company in it for the long haul, and for the sake of the next five, ten, twenty, thirty years I'm willing to work a few late nights and suffer through a few casting nightmares. As time goes on, of course, I'll want to have some more time for my other loves (one in particular, of course), and I will always be looking for new ways that I can grow, both personally and professionally, to become something more than just your friendly neighbourhood impressario.

Now you know,

Grinder

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