ChurchProduction.com: Have you ever wrestled with something for a while only to keep coming back to an answer that you just don’t want to hear? Have you ever tried to live in the space found between having an understanding of something and actually accepting the pain of its truth? Yeah, so have I. Recently, I’ve been pondering a question that has plagued most all of us church techs in one way or another. If we as techs believe that a job well done leads to our involvement and our technology being unseen, then why do we get so frustrated when our efforts aren’t acknowledged? That’s an oxymoron isn’t it?
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To be honest, I try and steer clear of these super religious articles. Using the will or power of God as justification for points in a discussion is weird to me because there’s no way I can disagree with that or prove you wrong. But I thought that this article made some relevant points for anyone who works in the production side of theatre. There is a tendency in our profession to feel unappreciated and invisible, and I’m not trying to say those feelings aren’t real and valid, because they are. However, I think the author is right when he says when we do things day in and day out, that small part can become the whole world to us and we can lose perspective about what we are actually doing. But one of the most important things to me about theatre is the way in which everyone is reliant on everything, the whole process is deeply and inherently collaborative, and we cannot accomplish our goal without all working together. When an audience is moved by a show, when they are still discussing it hours later over dinner, or when they jump to their feet at the final bow, that is for the whole show. The applause is for everyone, not just the actors. At the end of the day you have to strike a balance and remember that you are only a piece of the whole but also know that everyone within that whole is making a significant contribution and that you deserve to feel appreciated for your work.
Taking Christianity out of this, is it all ego when we feel this way after those on stage get the congratulations? I think yes. I’m not saying ego is a bad thing either. If you as a person have ego because you are good at your job but you don’t flaunt that ego around then I think it is okay to have that ego. Everyone strives to do a good job and be noticed, it’s in our dna. I just think that people shouldn’t be doing this job just to feed their ego because that isn’t going to get you far. Those of us who work behind the scenes normally choose this way of life because we love what we do not what the world gives us when we succeed. So I think ego is okay to have because I think it gives us confidence in our work which we all need to really do our best but don’t take it over the top. Find that balance, and one way to find it is to look at yourself after a show has closed and see if you feel accomplished and proud of your work or are you angry and frustrated because no one noticed your work?
I’m going to set the religious part of this article aside because the author has some feelings in that regard that I don’t understand and therefore don’t feel right commenting on.
Wanting acknowledgement doesn’t mean you have an unhealthy ego, it just means you’re human. We all want to be appreciated and considered on occasion. But you’re always going to be unsatisfied in this field if you are looking for acknowledgement measured in “as much as.” As much as actors, as much as directors, etc. If you feel yourself growing resentful regarding acknowledgement there are a few things you should consider. Is the job itself really satisfying you or do you want something more? Do you really, truly enjoy it? Are you working for and with the right people? If they habitually ignore your efforts, maybe they’re not the right people for you. Maybe it’s not the right place. Are you overextending yourself – working way too many hours, bending over backwards too much? If you’re giving 150% and no one seems to notice, you might just be adding fuel to your resentment fire – dial down the effort a bit for your own self-preservation. If you’re at the point of resentment, it’s worth asking what really needs to change.
I think there's definitely some ego involved in any work environment. We, as humans, like to feel valued and appreciated , it's what makes our minds work. Ideally, I know the "knowledge of a job well done" should be enough, but we are social animals, and I really do believe that the reason the majority of us are motivated to do anything is for other people to see and appreciate. This is why ABTech gives out T-Shirts at the big events they do, and why the actors always wave to the tech booth. Even though the very nature of a theatrical production necessitates the invisibility of the crew, it's still nice to get some recognition.
This article is on the verge of being too religiously focused for me. That being said, the article makes some good points. Or at least I’m taking some good points from it. First, there are people who have far bigger problems than technicians who don’t get praised, lauded, thanked, recognized, or even noticed for doing their jobs – no matter how big the job, how difficult, or how many hours went into it. Another take away from the article for me is that many times we, as technicians, aren’t thanked for our work. And it can get to us. My philosophy for a while, and I think this article confirms it, has been that those who know the work we do and understand it appreciate it and us and are thankful – whether that is a supervisor or manager, friends or family, or a religious figure. The last thing that I get from the article is that for some technicians sometimes the work we do is thanks enough.
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