PLSN: As touring ramps up and reliable labor dwindles, many of us will be asked to go above and beyond. As I mentioned in the August article (“Unpaid Labor,” PLSN, Aug. 2022, page 44), going above and beyond is noble, but allowing ourselves to be taken advantage of is harmful to us and our entire industry. This article is an extension of the unpaid labor that I had mentioned in August. Unpaid labor is almost never acceptable, but there is a gray area that deserves a deeper dive.
10 comments:
I feel that I have a similar work ethic to the one outlined above. If I can do it, I often will. Sometimes out of a desire to be helpful, sometimes because the task needs doing and I know that I can be efficient. In either scenario, resentment and frustration often follow. It's a toxic mindset, for sure, but it's one I've faced over and over. I truly don't mind stepping up, but I also don't like feeling taken advantage of, and I have found that the more of yourself you give, the more will be expected. Not just of you, but those who follow. I see posts by stage managers in FB groups who are frantically searching for props or asking for scripts, or wanting advice on any number of things that are not even remotely related to the duties of stage manager. I find it maddening. And then, at the same time, I know that I will gladly be my own board op because I find it fun.
But I think, often, the double dipping affects the production process beyond the individual. Yes, double dipping can create toxic mindsets and expectations, and can cause burnout, or take jobs away from others. But double dipping also means that focus is pulled. I worked on a ballet where the production manager was also the lighting designer. This was a huge problem during tech when issues backstage required a production manager to intervene, but that person was busy as the designer. The whole tech process needed to stop so he could deal with what was going on backstage.
I think, sometimes, we take pride in "doing it all" but it really just serves no one in the end.
I don’t know what makes technicians so ready to lay down their mental health and sanity to do more work than what’s asked of them. I wish there were better ways to avoid this double dipping but some people just view it as better for either their budget, logistics, or just wanting to have that person to be on their team. Bud why should that person whose hired for so many positions want to do that go then self? My true hope is that it’s because they care so much. Either for the work or for the people but I hope they’re at least happy doing such a stressful job(s). I also hope there’s some sort of safety net for these people who decide to take on so much work, like mental health networks that deal with burn out, depression, and anxiety. I hope they come out of their jobs in one piece.
I feel like this is such an unfortunate thing that happens. I completely understand that in some scenarios it can make sense and may even be the better option due to finances or some other reasons – I feel like those scenarios are extremely rare. This is something that confuses me in general, and I’m not sure why this is. I understand that this is not the “typical” industry to work in, and people argue that you make a “choice” to work in this industry, but I feel like the double dipping is rare in other industries to work in: why should it be any different here? Because it is rooted in the arts? It’s just difficult to think of other industries that ask you to take on so many jobs for so little reward, or ask you to do a job for something that you may have little to no knowledge in. Of course, there are other industries/sectors that do this, but the “normal” job or company would not…
Unfortunately, it seems like this sort of mentality is kind of needed in our industry, at least for now. Unless you land a major gig, like maybe a big tour or something on Broadway or something corporate, you will likely need to take on multiple roles, multiple jobs, possibly with multiple companies, just to make the money that you need. That's sort of a given for now, and while things are changing, I don't know enough to say that it's been fixed yet. The biggest thing, at least for me, is that everyone involved is at least respectful of your need to take care of your mental health and well-being. Sure, you need to be your own advocate, and you should take those factors into account when you agree to do multiple jobs, but it's helpful when the people above you make the effort to be genuine human beings and give one another grace every once in a while, so long as that grace isn't taken advantage of.
There are only so many things that one person can do and only so many places that one person can be. A lot of these things make sense on paper but putting them into practice is where it can get trickier. Filling two roles in a show might seem easy enough until there is a problem or something goes wrong in both areas at the same time and you need to fix both asap. I just think it would be a lot easier if people did not have to work two or more jobs at the same time for a show. But alas that is not how it works most of the time, especially in smaller theaters or even tours. So now we have to figure out how to make it easier and not so taxing to do so.
Wearing multiple hats feels inevitable when freelancing. If one position doesn’t pay you enough, or give you enough hours, it makes sense that you may have to have multiple sources of income. But when it comes to working two positions on a single production or jobsite, I think that gets really tricky really fast. This summer I was hired as an ASM and then asked if I could also take on the role of CCO (Covid Compliance Officer). I was hesitant, but ultimately accepted as I was able to negotiate a higher pay. But I knew the company was saving a lot of money by not hiring an entire other person, especially when it came to housing and transportation. I ended up feeling like I wasn’t doing either job to my full abilities. And that’s when this idea of double-dipping can get harmful. Not only are you exhausting yourself, but the company won’t be getting the result they had hoped for.
This is a huge struggle for many people. I witnessed this a bunch over the summer on my tour, but I see this a lot in general too. There is a ridiculous amount of work available right now, particularly in touring that people are being pulled away from their gigs that are paying retainer to come work on something else in the meantime. There is a lack of people that are competent and hardworking in general and so when people that are great at their jobs are found, they are often stretched pretty thin and end up taking care of way more responsibilities than they should in the role that they are hired in. I’m not really sure of the solution to this. Maybe it’s making theatre programs like ours more accessible to a wider array of people, so that more people are willing and ready to work in the industry. It’s definitely a huge problem and I think the spark of shows that are coming now that we are coming out of the pandemic, that it is really heightened at the moment.
I think this article, and the comments from my peers all highlight a few really important points. 1: a lot of people in theater/entertainment get stretched super thin, taking on more work than is reasonable for maintaining their health. 2: oftentimes, there just simply isn't enough pay coming from one job, so people look for opportunities to double dip to make enough money. But, I think overextending yourself can mean the quality of your work can decrease. I see it in my school/production work. How much can you take on before it takes a toll on you? And, prices have been really high - cost of living is increasing. People need to pay their bills, eat food, and rest. How do we keep work/life balance in entertainment while also paying people enough while keeping projects running? In no way whatsoever do I have any of the answers to this.
I’ve seen this sort of thing happen way more often than I should, not just limited to the theater industry. In almost every single job I have worked, I bit off so much more than I could chew. My second job was as a seasonal shuttle driver for a beach club, and while I was on breaks/didn’t have anything to do, the workers who had full time jobs and were 10 or so years older than me tried getting me to do their own jobs. Although I didn’t mind helping, I wasn’t getting paid to do any of these jobs, nor were they a part of my job description. My third job was as a cashier at a pizza truck, and I was doing so much more than I should have been. I was taking orders, running the cash register, cooking the pizzas in a wood fired oven, adding the toppings to the pizzas, and handing them back to the customers all for a little over minimum wage. Although I enjoyed this job, I was definitely not getting paid what I deserved, and should’ve been compensated more fairly.
This is such a common issue in not only our industry but in the general working world. The better you are at your job, the more responsibilities your employers may view you capable of taking on. And while that can be beneficial for monetary reasons and it can just make sense logistically, it can be so bad for your mental health. Many people, including myself, claim that they thrive under stress, or that they can take on whatever you through at them. And that can be true to an extent, but at a certain point, it becomes too much, and you end up hurting more than helping. Personally, my first thought when thinking of this “double dipping” concept is that the employee needs to be able to say no in order to take care of themselves. The article did also explain that double dipping can also be detrimental to the company as a whole which is something I hadn’t consciously realized before. I’m not sure that the amount of double dipping being done will be going down any time soon, especially in our industry. The pros often outweigh the cons that many don’t even realize until it’s too late.
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