Censors and Critics

At my former job, I was a manager in charge of opening our store every morning. The store I worked at was a sandwich restaurant, and we served ingredients that were freshly prepared every day. That stipulation required me to arrive to work every morning by 5:00 am, in order to begin baking bread, slicing vegetables, and prepare any other things needed to get the store in "Open" conditions. Sometimes it felt like a race to get to opening conditions. The store opened for business at 11:00am, and it was ideal to be completely prepared for the day by 10:30. It was also store policy that if we had bread that was baked and ready to eat, that we would serve any walk-in customers.  Our owner mandated that we be prepared by 9:30, so that we would have time to catch a break to collect ourselves before every morning rush. After several months of opening consistently, I began to get a little over confident with my work. I began coming in later than usual, and rely on my skills to make up for time. I slowly got further away from having the store ready at the required time, and I wasn’t giving myself that 30-minute break to prepare myself for the day. This affected how I worked later in the day, because I would start to crash long before 5:00 pm when I would clock out.

One day, my boss called me and we had a long discussion about how my decision to push the envelope is affecting my work. He could tell that I was wearing myself out, and playing fast and loose with my opening times. At first I thought that he was criticizing my work quality. After taking a day to think about it, I realized that he was trying to get me to make my job easier for me, by just showing up earlier and taking time to do each task correctly.

I went into work the next week with his criticisms in mind. I got to work earlier than usual, and took my time doing each task perfectly. After getting the store open, I was able to take a small break. Giving myself the 30-minute window to sit down and eat something did wonders for the rest of the day. I was more stable with my energy level, and I wasn’t crashing at the end of the day.

Underclassmen need to keep in mind the weight of their words when hey give criticism. Before saying what they’re thinking, they should think “what do I want to do with my words”, and “what do I expect my subject to do with what I am saying?” Of course criticism should be constructive, but especially in an educational environment we should strive to always look for an opportunity to teach.

Criticism should be respectful. Sometimes it is important to know the proper time to give your truthful thoughts. If a performer asks what you thought of their show immediately after the performance, you should try to leave them with a positive feeling. If you have concerns about their work, you should invite them to meet with you at a later time in a more private setting. We should be as supportive as possible in this department as we learn to cultivate our art as well as help others grow in their own.

Post two: Fear

(1) How does fear affect your career/identity as an artist?
(2) How do you deal with that fear?

When I first entered the department as a theatre major, one of my first fears was "Am I really an actor?".
I transfered in after a long period of having very little exposure to the arts for a span of about three years. My work schedule required me to work on most nights and weekends, so I didn't have a lot of opportunity to see very much theatre. Before this three year span, I had spent about two years as a music- vocal performance student. I was still studying a performance art, but not quite the theatrical acting that I had started to learn in high school.
One of my major reasons for transferring was that I wanted to improve myself as an actor and all around performing artist. I didn't want to just be thought of as "that guy with the good voice". I knew that I had good technical singing training, but I wanted to be able to connect it with a performance that could affect an audience.  My fears stemmed from the fact that I felt I was so disconnected from the art. Luckily, many of those fears have been alleviated since I've joined the department.
 I think that my fears now have to do with my future. Now that I have more skills in the field that I am passionate about, how do I implement them? How do I define success for myself? What will happen if I fall short of my definition?

Other fears I have concerns my future farther down the road. While I am excited to start a career in theatre, I know that there's a low likely-hood that I will make a livable wage as just an actor. I hope that because I've developed an array of skills because of my liberal arts education and my past life experiences I will be able to expand my working potential.
That being said, one day I'd like to be part of a family of my own. I'm not saying that I'm currently climbing every mountain and searching high and low in search of someone at this juncture in my life, but I do want to one day find a woman to share my life with. If and when I find that person, I want to be able to support her, push her to achieve her goals, and live happily and I'd like for her to do the same for me. I'd like to think of a day that I could be a father and start a family of my own. I love my parents and think they they molded me into to person I am today. I want to make my mark on the world not just with my art but also by producing children that will want to make a difference in the world and be able to realize and pursue their dreams because I (and when I say "I" I mean "we") was able to give a quality of life and certain opportunities that my parents worked hard to provide for me. My fear is that if I start to neglect any of these goals for myself, that I may not be able to achieve everything I want to.
There' a song from the musical [title of show] called "Die Vampires, Die!"
The song gives a name to all of our doubts, fears, and all of the naysayers in our lives: Vampire.
Give it a listen, it's a comedic song that shows this particular character's approach to dealing with her fears.

I'll include a link to the song here.

I think that my fears can sometimes feed each other. My compounding fears about my future in this art make me question my own abilities. There are days where I've fallen short in my work, am struggling with some scene work, and I allow my Vampires in. I start to think that I should look for a back up plan, or try to find an entry-level job in Baton Rouge and try to be content. But I know that if I don't take this chance now, I never will. I have to tae this leap and see where I stand. I'll wave away the Vampires and step forward into this new chapter in my life!