NYTimes.com: Katie O’Toole, a cast member of “Jersey Boys,” walked onstage on a recent Saturday night and wowed the audience with a sultry rendition of Lesley Gore’s 1964 hit song “You Don’t Own Me.”
Just before Ms. O’Toole left the stage, she turned to the band and shrieked over the roar of a standing ovation: “Thank you, Rats, I love you guys!”
16 comments:
Well this is a nice thing to hear. In high school it was hard not to have a pretty bad opinion of the actors who treated us like we weren't even there. In college that changed a lot. I have found that the CMU actors behave quite professionally. Of course you generally only hear about the horror stories, of actors/ actresses freaking out and yelling at people. I would like to believe that those are the outliers and this article is a nice reminder of that.
This article is really heartwarming. I know that in high school the actors and crew often didn't really get along and it's nice to hear that isn't the case in the professional world. I haven't worked backstage on a show here yet but I imagine the actors are definitely a lot more professional than in high school. I'm sure there are still times even in the professional world when there is conflict between cast and crew but I would also like to believe that these are far from the norm. It's really awesome that the actors are willing to take time out of their busy schedule to help out the stagehands who work on their shows.
I have a theory that almost every person working in technical theatre today who entered the world of theatre as a kid was an actor. We saw something in theatre we enjoyed and as far as we were concerned, the only way to help was to act. Of course, this wasn't the case, but I didn't know that in elementary school and didn't actively take part in creating the magic until high school.
At that point though, there were definitely actors who were insistent on being treated as royalty, demanded to know every detail of the production, and other ridiculous stories. It was a side effect that caused many friends of mine to drop it as an extracurricular altogether. But I'm glad that this isn't the norm, that everyone is expected to act professionally, and that sometimes the relationship between cast and crew can extend beyond polite formalities.
I find that there is a tendency for animosity between actors and backstage people. Its really nice tin see them saying they are more than just colleagues, but actually friends with them. Its something that I think a lot if actors need to work on, because they often come across with a better-than-you-attitude which can be very off putting. On the other hand, stagehands tend to have a stereotype that actors are dumb and therefore are beneath us. We had a policy in high school that helped this in the theatre club, and its nice to see it in the real world too.
I think this is a great story that proves that it's not actually that hard for actors and stagehands to connect and support each other. I feel like sometimes there's an "us-vs-them" mentality that comes with the relationship between performers and those who work behind the scenes, and unfortunately I feel like a lot of that is a holdover from high school. One of the most important things we can do to support each other is to respect each other's craft, and this is a great example of this. It shows that we can all be adults and work together and respect each other and each other's craft even outside of theatre.
I think that this is a lovely piece that showcases the community within theatre and the true collaborative nature of our craft. I do wonder though how fat this will extend. Performers and crews get along well when they are in their typical positions, and it's nice to see them step outside their typical roles and become equals when it comes to actually performing as opposed to equals in the sense of putting on a production. Bt if this went further like a recording deal, or more regular gigs at an even more well known place. I'd be interested to see how their working relationship and friendship would manifest in those conditions.
This truly is a great article. Sometimes in the performance industry it can become quite easy for one to get tunnel vision to their particular contribution to the show. In my high school I was very lucky to have a positive relationship with everyone involved in the production. I think everyone genuinely understood that we were all artists attempting to reach the same goal of telling our story, so why bother being disrespectful to one another because of a different position? At CMU I can already tell that this attitude is even more apparent. As the article says the crew and actors were all friends with each other. I can't quite say I'm friends with any MT's or actors yet simply because I have not gotten to work with them much, however I will say every interaction I have had has been extremely friendly and positive. This makes me look forward to working with them in my time here and I truly hope I make some friendships out of it. I have not really done any work in professional theaters yet, but I really hope the atmosphere is just as positive as it is here at CMU.
“It’s not like we’re throwing these guys a bone, because they are talented enough to stand on their own,” Ms. Noth said. “We do it because we respect them as colleagues. We do eight shows a week and they are at every one of them. We know Aarne and these guys on a daily basis as our crew guys, but it’s great to see a different side of them. They really have an amazing gift.”
This takes me back to so many discussions that we have at school about showing people appreciation for the things that they do. Everyone can perform a job, but not everyone can perform it with pleasure and such professionalism that you would want to work with them in another setting. I am sure that not all actors will want to do this, as it would be an additional task to their plate, but it is great to know that the ones who do understand the joy and pleasure of cross departmental collaborations and activities bear. This also shows that the Local 1 guys must be a pleasure to work with.
I appreciate this article whole-heartedly. ALthough I have never experienced outright actor/stagehand animosity, I've heard all of the horror stories about them. However, this article portrays this relationship very well. I'm mostly impressed that an article was written in the New York Times about this. I feel like this topic is very "under the rug" and to have it be brought out in such a gorgeous light is something that we don't see very often. I applaud the journalism in this article for taking something completely out of the ordinary and publishing it. Furthermore, it's nice to see the performers appreciating the technicians. It's that warm, fuzzy feeling.
I believe this is a great example of how many people in theatre have many talents, some of which they may not always be able to display on a daily basis. I think one reason these stagehands are so talented is because they share with the cast of their shows a love of theatre and of performance so they fully understand what is like to be onstage. It is great to see that they respect the performers and in turn performers appreciate and support them.
I think its great that in whatever way they can, the stars of the show are thanking the stagehands. Too often forget that these amazing shows wouldnt happen without the people doing all the hidden, thankless jobs backstage. I think this article also kind of combines the cmu mentality for theatre, that everyone is working together to produce an amazing product and that if anyone didnt do their job, the show wouldnt happen. And the way CMU teaches this with all of the cast members first being required to do crew and learn and appreciate the skill in what we all do, is really beneficial.
This totally does not count, this performer is thanking the band, not the stage hands. But anyway, grateful actors are the best and disrespectful ones are a pain. In my high school we had the performing majors and a technical theatre major. This article reminds me of freshman year, I had a lot of friends who were seniors and they were really fed up about how they were being treated by the actors, the entire school was incredibly ungrateful for the work that was put into the shows, and we were working year round for these people. So they went on strike, did not do a single thing for any of the productions. I am actually not sure what ended the strike, but I know that the actors were always grateful after that, they knew our value. That is also why it is good that actors have to do run crew. Though that is not really what we do, it makes them look at the technical aspect of the shows they will soon be in.
This article exemplifies the ideal attitude of backstage relations. Mutual respect and recognition of talent is key to a friendly and cohesive work environment. I have worked in places where this is and isn't the case, and the differing feelings backstage are noticeable. I feel that at CMU, because of the requirement that actors work on run crew, instills the upperclassmen actors with the respect for those of us working in the technical arts.
It's nice to hear how the overarching mentality is one of teamwork and group appreciation. Every facet of a production seems aware and appreciative of the contributions of every other component. Certainly, in my high school, the general attitude was not this warming. Actors worked with actors, techs worked with techs. I am very glad to finally be working in a professional atmosphere where everybody is working together to achieve a shared success.
In my high school, there were 2 types: the techies, and the actors. When someone tried to cross from one to the other, to 'try things out', neither party was particularly welcoming. You either wanted to be behind the curtain, or in front of it. No exceptions. There was serious animosity among the techies towards the actors...to be fair, the actors could have been kinder. When I was a freshman on running crew, about to push a set piece on stage, I was literally stepped on by one of the senior actors as they told me to watch where I was going. There was this mentality that everyone started out as actors and those who weren't good at it would tech. Clearly, that's not the case. Everyone has different styles and approaches to their art form. It's brilliant that, to the actors, these aren't just stagehands. They are artists, who are a part of their stage family. The common support here is not only inspirational...it's comforting. To know that not everyone will step on you and forget your name. On the professional level, people are expected to have a certain respect and interest in each other's skills and dreams. It's cheesy, but it's heartening.
No. I stopped reading when the reporter described Local 1 as "the group that operates the sets and builds and breaks down the stages." If the reporter is too lazy to learn what stagehands really do, the rest of the article is not worth my time (even if the great Roz Ryan is quoted toward the end). This is the NY Times, not some small-town community bulletin. Lazy, lazy, lazy.
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