SPLnetwork.com: In my trying to understand and accept ML's passing I can't help but think about the price we pay to do this job.
ML gave his life to this craft. He lived at work. He lived to work. I had a great personal relationship with him but it was, as with most of us, based on work. We accomplished so much together over the years, huge tours, huge profits for everyone involved, HUGE!
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I always had a vague knowledge of the danger of our profession, and not just the physical ones. Not comparing the real world to high school, but the late night and early days, juggling massive workloads in my theater and academic courses, and trying to maintain social and family life took its toll on me. I was sick the majority of the years. It’s obvious the lifestyle theater professionals are require to keep takes a physical and mental toll, what’s no so obvious is the outward effects of it. This man, ML, was lucky in that he had a support network of people willing and trying to reach out to him as not many do. What's sad is knowing that he didn’t try to get help. It’s understandable that there is a stigma against that, showing any kind of weakness, but this is a prime example of what can happen when social and professional pressures force people to lock away their emotions and stresses. I hope that people learn from stories like these, it’s just too easy to lose exceptional talent to mental degradation.
This is a really touching post about a man that I hadn’t heard of before, but am incredibly impressed by. He has worked with numerous amazing acts for decades, and it’s clear that he truly must have dedicated his life to his work. Each and every one of us is brought to CMU Drama for a similar reason, we all love the work we do and we all want to continue to do it at the highest level we can, and so these are wise words to hear from someone who has gone though the field. They are also words that, unfortunately, we don’t hear as often as we maybe should. Putting your life in to the work is an amazing thing, but it isn’t everything. The importance of the ones you care about can’t be lost. I want to be doing what I enjoy doing in theatre for a long time to come, and I know it will come at a certain price, but there has to be a limit to it or else what’s the point? It shouldn’t be a choice between the job you love and the people you love, making room for both is important.
Family is such a huge part of my life that right now I never could foresee having the problem ML had. However, I know there is a real possibility that this could happen. My family will always be the most important to me and this article gives me even more or a reason to strive to put my family first. I would hate to go through life just to work. I love what I do and I have fun doing it, but, that fun can never be more important than being home. I want to have a wood shop connected to my house when I grown up so I can be at home with my family while also doing what I love and I hope to teach my kids in that shop. This is not to say that I will not be completely devoted to my work, but I will not come into work for my kids birthday party. I will be home cutting the cake and seeing their smile. I hope to be home at reasonable hours to tuck them in, and I don't want to be away for weeks on end.
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