Theatre - What's it all about
Created | Updated Dec 13, 2004
I have worked in the theatre as a technician for 8 years now and I am now struggling to understand why I am doing it. I have seen people become overworked, have nervous breakdowns, giving up weekends / bank holidays for little or no financial rewards. I am now failing to see what the point is.
The whole attitude towards theatre is that it doesn't matter if you make yourself ill, or if your social life disintegrates to such an extent that your friends disown you, as long as the show happens. What I say is, who gives a damn? At the end of the day, we're not saving anyone's lives, we're not stopping wars, we're not providing humanitarian aid, we are just creating entertainment. So what is it that creates this insane work ethic?
Nobody outside the production really gives a damn if that prop is from a slightly wrong period, or that lighting state is slightly darker than it needs to be, and I'm sure that most people would agree that it's not worth making yourself ill over.
Theatre people are being exploited because theree's so many people willing to work for nothing.
The whole attitude towards theatre is that it doesn't matter if you make yourself ill, or if your social life disintegrates to such an extent that your friends disown you, as long as the show happens. What I say is, who gives a damn? At the end of the day, we're not saving anyone's lives, we're not stopping wars, we're not providing humanitarian aid, we are just creating entertainment. So what is it that creates this insane work ethic?
Nobody outside the production really gives a damn if that prop is from a slightly wrong period, or that lighting state is slightly darker than it needs to be, and I'm sure that most people would agree that it's not worth making yourself ill over.
Theatre people are being exploited because theree's so many people willing to work for nothing.
