5/11/06

sorry… just having a bit of a frustrating week.  i’m so fed up with whiney people.  granted, there are some genuine concerns that need to be discussed, but we don’t need to freak out and stop the show everytime someone stubs their toe!!!!!

(if you can’t tell, i’m talking about the opera).  we’re having some union issues.  and yes, some of them are serious problems, and i’m okay that these things are being discussed.  however, what i’m not okay is everyone sitting around and bitching about it. 

let me sum up really quick.  after MacBeth dies at the end, he is lowered down a trap (in the floor of the stage) to get him off stage so we can sing the finale.  well, for some reason (who knows why) the audience was laughing at this.  so, the management and director decided to leave MacBeth laying on the floor a bit longer before lowering him (in hopes that it would quell the laughing at a very serious moment).  well, to do so, that means that the trap is open (basically a 10foot pit in the middle of the stage) for longer when the chorus come rushing on.  doesn’t sound like much of a problem, does it.

here’s the problem.  management just did it… and we opened on saturday.  this mean (under union contract) they are not allow to change any portion of the opera without submitting it for approval to the union (basically they contact the shop steward, request the change, the steward contact the union board, they vote on the issue and bam, its done.  i would imagine this could be taken care of in a matter of hours).  obviously they did not do that.  they just changed it and told us before the show started. 

now, if you are sitting there thinking, "that doesn’t seem like such a big deal" i would agree with you.  however, it is a big deal if they start doing it more often.  so, i’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that they need to hold management to that (as if they didn’t hate the chorus enough……..)

on the other hand.  sitting around the green room and bitching (rather loudly) about how upset you are with their decision to do this is not okay.  complaining to each other is not okay.  overall actions that can been seen as an attempt to lower the moral of the chorus because you are just a little more pissed off than the guy next to you… IS NOT OKAY!

SO ALL YOU DUMB ASS UNION FUCKS THAT THINK THAT YOU’LL GET ANYWHERE BY JUST PISSING AND MOANING CAN JUST SHUT YOUR FUCKING TRAPS AND GO SIT THE FUCK DOWN!!!!!!!

*wipes brow* whew… i feel better.

i’m sorry, but i seriously had to get that out of my system.

i just think if someone has a problem, write a note to the shop steward.  then the shop steward can collect the notes and show them to management that there is a significant concern with the actions of this week.  then, once you have it on paper you can shut up and get back to work…

now, i am going to do my part and send an email to my shop steward.  as for this horrible email, i’m going to leave it public (as you are obviously reading it) so that others may learn from my discontent….  not that it will change anything.

i wish you all the best of days and hope all is well with you and yours.

– noah