While I haven't exactly used that expression, it certainly applies in my case. I wish it didn't, but I can't say it's a part of my mindset either.
What do I think causes it? I'm an English teacher with a couple of sections of drama though I prefer to say I'm a drama teacher with a couple of sections of English. My point is that we are often overwhelmed with responsibilities that all that "last minute in theatre" stuff are the small, but important details that have more nebulous deadlines. For example, I am horrible at promotion. I often try to get a student to design the promo poster. I had one totally drop the ball on that so we didn't have a promo poster for
Almost, Maine until about a week before our show. (They often have great ideas, but the follow through or execution leaves something to be desired.) Sets, props, and costumes...anything needing to be purchased must have a PO approved in advance. Don't ask how many times I've spent my own money on something for a show simply because I didn't want to deal with the paperwork or wait for the paperwork to go through. We have an awesome bookkeeper at our school who gets things done, but it's the district level person that is iffy. Even when they are on top of things, it's still a process that takes time.
Did I mention that many of us are a one-person show? I do have an assistant (essentially paid a stipend like a coach), but there are gaps between the two of us. Set design and tech issues are neither of our strengths, but he's tries to take on more of those responsibilities since that is definitely my weakness. He's not a certificated staff member, so he's not always aware of all the protocols we have to follow or the why we have to do things the way we do. He does not have his own keys to our stage or the school, so I (or another staff member) have to be present at all rehearsals and performances (or at least on the school premises). Regardless, he is invaluable to me and my program and would help more if not for all the bureaucratic hoops we have to jump through. Don't get me started on how many times I have to answer a question that starts "Why can't we...."
As an ASB club, we also have to make sure that the club is student-driven. I have to be reminded of that frequently, but there's a lot the students don't know and it falls on me to make them aware of the rules and what options are available to them. I try to give them more responsibility, but the ball gets dropped because they are kids. Sometimes I let the ball stay (not prepared for student-directed one-act), but sometimes it falls on me to take on the task if it's a must do, like the AM promo poster issue. Most of them had never heard of ITS before when I proposed us getting our troupe reinstated. Thanks to the pandemic, very few have even gone to Thespian events. It's not that I don't try to get them involved, but I only have so much energy.
Have I mentioned budgets? Community and educational theatre budgets vary greatly. We recently did a big purge of our "prop closet" (for reasons I won't go into beyond covid + bureaucratic BS that will have me violently throwing things). Most of our costume pieces had come from the local thrift store. I don't have access to a local seamstress, so we eliminated 75% of what we had. "If it looks like it came from the thrift store, it can go back to the thrift store." We're trying to costume Dracula (Victorian era), and if it weren't for the fact that I have a whole slew of emo kids who are loving the look and buying some of their own costume pieces, we could bust our budget with this show. Luckily/unluckily due to the pandemic effects, we have some extra room in our budget to put into the show (no field trips). Even when the students provide parts of their costumes or props, we have to wait to see what we get and then there's a last minute rush to get some item that's critical to the show.
Which brings me back to your question on why does everything happen at the last minute in community and/or educational settings. Kids (i.e. nonprofessionals) + educational bureaucracy + stretched thin teacher (volunteer in community theatre) = "Everything always happens at the last minute in theatre".
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Melissa Gibson
Drama teacher
Oak Harbor High School
WA
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-03-2021 12:03
From: George Ledo
Subject: Help with a question, please
I've been scoping out a new article for my blog (setdesignandtech.wordpress.com) and wanted to see what some of your experiences have been on the topic.
For years now, I've often heard the expression "everything always happens at the last minute in theatre." I've heard it in community theaters, I've heard it in the two high schools I've designed sets for, and I've heard it from audience members who've heard it from someone else and just accepted it as fact. In a few cases, this mindset has been so deeply engrained in the company's culture that it was pointless to even talk about it.
My experience at the university level and in professional theatre has been completely different, so I'd like to get some of your input. Do you encounter this mindset? Do you find it's accurate? What do you think causes it?
Thanks so much.
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George F. Ledo
Set designer
www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.com
www.georgefledo.net
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