A Day at the Theater

As a director it is my job to help the actors onstage. I am supposed to work with the actors so their blocking makes sense and so they understand their character better, which seems like a straightforward job. What I had not realized was part of the job description was helping students with their schoolwork. In my school, if someone is failing a class that student is on academic probation. Academic probation means having to attend an extra study hall. If the student is on academic probation for more than a year then they will be kicked out of the school. Fortunately, or unfortunately, (depending on one’s perspective) any student who is on academic probation cannot be in any after school activities, and this includes drama. So a few days ago I found myself in a new directing situation, I had to make sure that my actors kept good grades and turned in their work on time. Before I go on there is one thing that should be known about me. I am a perfectionist. I spend hours and hours on projects that take the average person thirty minutes. For me everything must be the best I could ever do. This includes schoolwork. Usually I start an essay the day after it was given, even if I have three weeks to write it. So it came as a great surprise to me when I found out that not everyone is like that. I had an actor approach me about editing an essay that he had two weeks to do and was due in thirty minutes. I said sure. What I did not realize at the time was that he only had three sentences written and was actually asking me to help him write his essay. When I came to realize this my first words where, “I am going to strangle you… after you turn this in.” For the next forty-five minutes (he turned it in late) we were the comical pair in the corner of the auditorium analyzing a speech from a member of the US Senate. I sat there asking him what the Senator was saying while he stared at me blankly and rubbed his head. He finally did finish the essay (and no, I did not dictate the essay to him, he wrote it on his own). I learned a very important lesson, I need to watch what homework the actors have so I don’t have to do this again.

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