HowlRound: After working so many long nights producing my own work and a lot of headaches helping others put their shows up, I have found that there is a good motto about simplicity. While some people like to use the phrase “keep it simple stupid,” I have found that it doesn’t encompass the whole theme. Sure, simplicity is a good motto for the theatre, but why? I will tell you this one phrase and I suggest you get a stone tablet and a chisel to forever engrave it in your life: “simplicity is sustainable.” And boy, did I learn this the hard way.
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Having worked on a show this past summer where we had to engineer an entire world with a very small budget, I had to learn the main lesson of this article hard and fast: the more complicated things get, the less feasible they become. The idea of physical and financial cost is one that we don't pay much attention to, but by the end of a 15 hour day when I had to hang, focus, and cue an entire show by myself, I see the value in evaluating every cost on a personal level, no matter how small-scale the production is. I start to differ in opinions with the article when the topic of ego comes up, as I believe we all want to put forth the best product we can, and regardless of the ringer I put myself through, I wasn't doing it to prove that I was superior to my peers. I think the lesson Ricky took away from this process was a valuable one, since he realized that the simplest path to completing a task was often the most reasonable, but I don't think that means he's earned some superiority to other theatre professionals who are running similar gauntlets every day. He mentions people he sees that are still in the game that haven't achieved what he has, so maybe instead of posturing, he should share his skills with these lesser folk.
This article was great, because it was so real. Too many times people try to glamorize their story and the path they took to success through their struggles. The author spoke of the good and the bad as he failed along the way, but his overall advice is so real and not one of those inspirational quotes that you like and pretend is achievable. I do agree that simplicity is so valuable, especially in theater. When doing theater on a small budget, being simple is not about being cheap, it is about knowing what is valuable. Spreading this idea over more than money is true to, so often many theater people, and many others find themselves in the position of shouldering everything and not having enough hours in the day. Keeping the work simple for oneself and others is just as important because the outcome will be more fulfilling.
The phrase that I think best summarizes this article is "the perfect is the enemy of the good". I often find myself stressing so much over a project that I not only hurt myself and those around me, I don't even end up with a product I can be proud of. This article expresses that the drive to make things as perfect as they can be isn't necessarily going to take you to a good place, mentally or physically. People our age often brag about completing things successfully despite unfavorable circumstances, and while this can be good in one sense, it can often be taken much too far. Sometimes it just makes more sense to forgo fancy details for something simple and dependable, whether it takes the strain off your wallet or your brain. Going the simpler route shouldn't be frowned upon just because it might not be the best work you can possibly create-- even if it isn't your best possible work, it might be the best possible solution.
This article holds a very valuable lesson, but I do not think the author has finally found the perfect formula of work and rest as his tone suggests. Learning to balance the multitude of tasks we undertake in the professional and personal world is a life long process. Learning to schedule, commit, and compromise is part of what makes theatre valuable to both casual volunteers and committed practitioners. And pardon my pessimism, but I do not think it's as easy as "keep in simple, stupid". That being said the article would benefit many of today's students and rookies. In school, we often see all-nighters as accomplishments but do not recognize the danger in them. By trying to adopt Young-Howze's philosophy early on, mental and physical health, productivity, and professionalism can be spared. But I believe getting to that point does not come in the form of a revelation, but through practice and reflection.
"My ego told me that I was the only one talented enough to do all the jobs that kept the production afloat." Ah, my lovely friend, Ego. It's truly a hate/love relationship. Wanting to prove yourself to the world even over the point when you are in trouble physically and mentally. I think that dedication to a project is an extremely fine line and a big lesson to learn when you finally hit the block. I learned this lesson (the lesson of you not being able to do it all by yourself) last year during Freshman year. I was juggling drama classes, doubling up on electives, designing and building an entire fashion line by myself, freelance illustrating a fantasy novel and completing projects/papers on the side. It was a rewarding year and I learned a lot, no doubt. But a year like that doesn't come without its equal costs. I landed myself in the ER about 3-4 times during the school year, developed anxiety over stress, and felt like I was drowning under deadlines. Now that I'm in sophomore year, I've entered with a new mindset and a few extra tools under my belt. Some of them being 1) YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT. You are a human!! Again, humans are not perfect machines who don't need sleep or food! 2) Take a break when you need to. 3) Work for a good, uninterrupted 4 hours. Not 8 leisurely hours. 4) This is school. It will not make or break the rest of your life. I am glad that I went through this process sooner than earlier because it taught me that "going going going" is not a sustainable practice. You will burn out. You will become depressed at the fact that you can't seem to get anything finished on time and that your friends are out having fun and you're holed up working. You will not go very far with an attitude like this because you will die sooner than live on to see your greatness. Take a nap, have some cake and remember that if you don't have your health, you have nothing.
What I think is interesting in the article is that the article makes it sound as though you need to make the mistake of taking on too much to learn balance, rather than learning from Rickey Young-Howze mistake. Usually when I think of advice articles, as I feel this article is, the author wants you to take away a lesson and not make the same mistake that they did. All Young-Howze provides is his motto: “Don’t get too complicated”. Even in the last paragraph, Young-Howze presents the concept that people can’t learn this skill from each other but rather a lesson everyone needs to encounter. He does state that his system might not work for other, yet he never states what his system is in any detail. He merely says that he asked for help from his friends, delegated, and encourage others when they needed it. In the last sentence, Young-Howze notes that you need to figure out how to balance for yourself. He merely states that everyone needs to learn the skill, but does not provide information on how to learn. I think including his method, rather the just his motto, for maintaining balance would enhance the article and provide the reader with a system to attempt. Even if that system doesn’t work for them, they potentially could modify it or be inspired and discover a method that would work for them.
I think boiling theatre down to the simplest possible way that you can put on the show is a very good place to start for many industry professionals. It's certainly helpful in the design process, as it can lead to creative ideas that allow the designer to communicate what they want to be communicated in a clear, concise, and unique way. My only concern with being ONLY concerned with the simplest way to do things is that there is theatre out there that is very much about the spectacle and complicated design elements. For a producer that has done nothing but simplicity, it would be very challenging, I imagine, to go from that side of the career to a much larger production with bigger moving parts. What I think can be taken away from this however, is applying the spectacle as a requirement for the production, if it is a production that has more moving parts, and incorporating that into the process of boiling things down from the getgo. That way, the thought process is more about making complicated, yet required, aspects of a production easier and less straining to accomplish rather than literally making it simpler that you actually just strip away that element of the show.
I think being in an environment where we are surrounded by artists makes it very easy for us to compare our work with each other, whether consciously or subconsciously. As a result, last year I often forgot that just because something's simple and didn't take forever to make doesn't mean it's not good enough, and just because I stayed up all night making something doesn't mean it's the best thing I've ever made. We are being graded on the final product, not solely on how much struggle we went through or how much time we spent to make it. Even though right now it seems "cool" to brag about how many all nighters you've pulled (it's really not), it's important to start the good habits now because it'll be too late when you're in the professional world. Knowing how much to do for the appropriate amount of time and resources you have is an important skill that shows that you are competent and experienced, instead of trying to bite off more than you can chew.
The article seems to be missing some information. The author never says anything about “Fronkensteen”. It sounds like this was a student organization at college or university. Given that the author doesn’t share a lot of context around the production company or setting, I’m not sure how much of this article applies to everyone. That being said, the lessons of simplicity and taking on more than you can handle mentioned in this article are hard ones to learn. Working at a regional theater, commercial shop, or other such larger enterprises help with taking on more than you can handle because they are more likely to have full staffs and divided responsibilities. The lesson of simplicity is one that everyone can relate to. Many times, the first way we think about doing something may not be the simplest way to do it. By regrouping, rethinking, and asking for help, we might find a simpler way to do something. In terms of production, simpler can also mean less expensive and less time. And that’s something that everyone looks for.
While it seems that the situation this guy is describing is fairly specific to a size theater that I do not really want to work in, what he is describing in terms of delegation and simplicity really resonate with me. I have had problems with both delegation and simplicity. I still do have problems with them but I am getting better at trusting people (so long as I trust them (this can get into a crazy circle so I’ll just stop here)), and I am gaining more experience in order to come up with simpler solutions. His quote about simplicity being sustainable is not a quote I had heard before but really is a great mantra. As David Boevers is famed for saying “Why isn’t that a 2x4?” I stopped the theater I worked at this summer from making 100’ of hogs trough by using that line. Hogs trough probably won’t break, but it is more sustainable to use 2x4 simply because it is easier and cheaper. But more broadly, a push stick is more sustainable then a high tech, complicated, failure prone automation system.
I think that this article raises an interesting perspective, one that I think we should all think about when it comes to our own lives, especially as theatre technicians. Over the summer, I was the props master for a small show during my internship. For that, I was given a measly budget, and a director that wanted the world and more. Because she never wanted or went with the simple option, the rest of the technical staff and I were stretched to our limits trying to get the complicated requests the director wanted. I know that it wasn't just the tech staff that was overly stressed but the actors and the director as well. This is where simplicity would have helped us all, allowing budgets and number of hours worked to match up and fall into place, allowing for a better experience for everyone. However, I would like to point out that sometimes extravagance and complexity lends itself to a show, but only if you have the budget to meet it, both in terms of money and labor.
I think what the author of this article is saying is very important to anyone who is involved in technical theatre. Often, on smaller shows, everything can get pushed to one person, and like the author said this is a good learning experience, it often burns people out very quickly. Often times I've found that working by myself makes stuff get done a lot quicker, as it all makes sense in my head, but that is not a sustainable way to work. I've seen this with those I've worked with as well--guys who regularly stay up until 4am finishing set dressing or painting, knowing full well that they aren't paid nearly enough to warrant this much work. And while this ends up getting the work done, like the author said it is incredibly tiring and can burn someone out really quickly.
So many aspects of theatre are very DIY that I think people forget that there are other ways and other people that can help and support them. I think there is a tremendous pressure to be so good at everything that you cna do it all without ever asking for anything. I think that this mentality is dangerous and simply false. One of my favourite aspects of theatre is the community that is built for every show and how that community interacts and supports each other. I think the best shows come from groups that understand the importance of each and every area and person and treat them all as an equal member of the production. I think that simplifying the DIY aspects of theatre is one of the ways we can cut through the do it all mentality and create better, cleaner pieces. So often parts of a show are thrown together or created using a million different pieces because that part has never been done before and that was the way that the crew figured out how to do it. Theatre often goes for big and flashy and never been done before that sometimes we forget that bigger isn't always better. Just because the crew knows how complicated and huge the mechanism to drag something across the stage is, that doesn't mean the audience will. In fact, they will probably never see it or know that it exists. In cases like this, the simple mechanism that works the same way would have been a much better choice. I do want to clarify that I believe it is very important to push the boundaries and create new ways of doing things, especially if it is the old method that is clunky and too elaborate, because that what is constantly making theatre better.
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