/dev/zero

Ok, I decided to post this anyway.

I would normally “blog” this, but I don’t feel like dealing with the blog interface right now, or taking the time to format my thoughts for posterity. I’m just venting.

As ya’ll know, I’ve been doing a play with The Labyrinth Theatre, associated with my church. It’s been a lot of fun, but I’m having some difficulty with some of the people. I had some problems with my crew (I’m the stage manager, so I’m basically “in charge” during a show) for a little while, but we ironed that out. Now I have a problem with a cast member, and that’s spilled over into having problems with my crew again.
Friday night Jarod and I were back stage, just inside the stage right door waiting for Jarod’s entrance. He reached over and closed the door, I reached over and pushed it open 4 inches or so, so it wouldn’t bang. He reached over and closed it again, telling me not to do that or it will bang. I reached over and opened it again, telling him if it’s closed, it will bang, but if it’s open far enough, the air pressure will just flow through without moving the door.
Now’s were things get ugly: He pulls it closed again and tells me not to open it again and “DON’T challenge me on this!” with a very angry tone of voice (or whisper, since this was during a show). I reached to open it again, as I do NOT want the door banging and start to point out to him that he has no business giving me instructions or orders. He gives me an angry look and reiterates: DON’T disobey me! (puffing up his chest, shoulders back, teeth clenched, the whole “I’m going to make myself look bigger and badder than you” physical intimidation thing. He thinks he’s a bad ass. I just got right up to him, nose to nose and very calmly explained “*I* am the _stage manager_. YOU do NOT give ME orders, and you, an ACTOR have no business instructing the crew, let alone me, how anything is to be done.”
He tried to give me the “do it my way or I’ll quit the show right now” bit. I called his bluff. He finished with “We’ll have words about this later!” then went on stage.
After he came off stage again, we all (him, me, my two stage hands) sat down and resumed our game of Spades, though he refrained from saying anything to me that wasn’t necessary to facilitate the game.
After the show a couple other cast mentioned that “Jarod said you got all up in his face?” “Yup. I’d do it again, to.”
Not surprisingly, today Kristina, the light board operator / wardrobe mistress (and formally the assistant director, though that role is now obsolete) cornered me and asked if I had “gotten in Jarod’s face”. I admitted I had indeed, told her what had happened with a matter of fact “Yeah, he tried to order me around, I let him know it wasn’t happening. I’m past it. He needs to move on.” Got the usual “Well, you need to do something different. I can’t handle all this drama back-stage!” (Drama? In theater? Ya think????) from her. I nearly told her off right there. I’m tired of everyone back-stage running to her to whine, as if she has some authority over me. (She doesn’t. Technically, at this point she reports to me.)

Anyway, after dealing with the few things I have to do at the beginning of the show, I come back to the green room and find they’ve started the Phase 10 (it’s Phase 10 today instead of spades) without me. (Phase 10 is a game where it’s easy to join in after the game has already started, during the first few hands.) “Oh, didn’t know you wanted to play. We’ll deal you in next hand.” Maggie says, then fails to do so. I object that she didn’t deal me in. “Ooops, sorry, next hand.”
The 3rd hand, she deals, forgets to deal me in, catches it herself and is about to re-deal when Jarod (who has not said a word to me since “We’ll have words about this later!”) states he “has a problem with people joining games once they’ve already started.” (in direct contradiction of his own “don’t worry, you can catch up easily” when he first taught me the game).
I expected nothing less from him. He’s an immature little punk who’s fooled himself into believing he’s both physically and intellectually superior to everyone around him (right down to the “I used to try to intimidate everyone physically and intellectually, but I finally realized what a waste of time that is.” speech the other night. The “I’m an enlightened individual” schpiel, while still exhibiting the exact behavior his “enlightenment” supposedly helped him banish from his psyche.)
What surprised me, and hurt, was that neither Maggie or Vance said a word. They just shrugged and proceeded to ignore me.
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