One Monday in early February I was taking notes at an E board meeting when Jason Conrad mentioned that Measure for Measure was desperate for crew people. I wondered, "how desperate?", and then put the thought to the side. I am a senior. This is my last semester here. I have to find a job. I was blissfully happy being free on weeknights. My homework was getting done—ahead of time for the first semester ever—and I was able to watch American Idol. I had all the time in the world to devote to my two studio classes. Life was great!
Then the guilt hit.
As I was sitting on my couch watching Full House reruns, I started to panic. "I am the laziest!", I said. "These people need help and you are sitting around!" It was a moment that was scarily reminiscent of Gollum from Lord of the Rings, as I sat there and argued with myself. I decided to find out just how much trouble Becca Lindsey, the stage manager, was in.
She practically begged me to help.
I agreed, kicking myself the whole time.
It was one of those times when you decide to do something partly out of the goodness of your heart, and partly out of duty and guilt. Let's just say that I was not excited to begin my reign as Costume Mistress.
The first 16 hours were tough. My freshmen assistants and I had no idea what we were doing. In addition, we were set up in a small dark room adjoining the rehearsal hall. Claustrophobia turned us into whiny brats. But as tech week went on, and we discovered ways to fill time (the card game UNO was our savior), I began to—gasp—enjoy being there. I met new people, had a few adventures, and got to rip off people's clothing. Not so bad after all. I decided that if I was going to be in that crummy little room for six hours every day, I may as well enjoy myself. One day a shoe dropped from a hole in the ceiling and hit me in the face. And I laugh every time I think about it. I wouldn't have that memory if I hadn't volunteered for the job. Think of all the memories you could be missing out on by sitting at home.
I haven't done a lot of crew at Muhlenberg. I realize now that I was prejudiced: I felt that crew work was somehow below me. I am an Actor. I did whatever I had to do to get my production hours, and that was it. But this time I didn't "get" anything for spending all those hours at M for M. Then why was it one of my most satisfying accomplishments? People often love to complain about crew work. They just try to "get through it". Why be miserable? Take a second and let go of all that negativity. Excuse me, I sound really New Age here, but it's true. I was all set to spend three weeks grumbling about all the stupid costumes. The new me decided that complaining would be a waste of my time. Once I stopped finding fault with everything, I grasped the fact that it wasn't so bad. I laughed with my girls and had fun. I played UNO. I watched Seagull rehearsals through a peephole we set up in the door (I saw Francine act!). All in all, good times.
An interesting fact: someone thought that I was just hanging out with the Measure people a lot. Like I was a Measure wannabe or groupie or something. I guess it's not common for a senior to suddenly start volunteering for crew. After having acted in Lughnasa last semester, maybe people thought that I was "taking a step down" by doing crew. I think not. I think I did something that was in a way nobler than what I did last semester. Crew is not easy. You work hard, it's more of a time commitment, and there is sometimes a sense of being on the outside. What started out as a selfless act transformed into a selfish one, as I began to see crew not as a favor I did for others, but something I had to do for myself. Be proud of crew work that you have done. Let's support each other by letting go of our egos and "taking a step down." We are more than what we seem. We are not just an actor, or a director, or a "techie". The program here supports gaining a theatre education. That indicates training in all the various aspects of theatre production. It would behoove us to be able to do crew work without whining about it. Enjoying it would even allow you to have a priceless state of mind. Most internships I have seen require crew hours, and if you ever plan on working for a small theatre company, the actors do it all. In the real world you don't want to be seen as incompetent. Learn how to be useful. I used to dread strike for shows until I acquired some skills. Now that I know how to use a screw gun, I feel empowered.
Working costumes for Measure for Measure was the most fun I've ever had working on a show here. Please think of my experience the next time you see an announcement for a work call, crew call, or even for a one a.m. paint call. It may be the best time you will ever have. Plus, the name is a misnomer: crew does get to go to cast parties.