# "Director" Problems



## shot4liberty (Dec 24, 2008)

So every year at my school, we do what we call a senior show ( show written and directed by the seniors) this year me and another person have been working on this show. All of a sudden I have the feeling that she is discrediting my ideas and pushing me out. I am the Production Manager/TD, and I feel she does not understand the role that I play. She has done minimal technical work and expects me to pop this set out of my rear the next day. I have worked for years to be one of the ones in charge of the show, and yet she cast it without me and calls me ideas absurd and crazy in front of the other seniors. any suggestions for dealing with her?


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## Eboy87 (Dec 26, 2008)

Have a sit down with her and educate her on what exactly your job is. If she won't listen to you, have a faculty member (I assume this is a school related project?) get involved with said discussion. That being said, find some middle ground. Sometimes the director wants things done that is physically impossible (speaking from experience). Tell them why it can't be done that way, then offer a compromise solution. 

You're going to run into this attitude a lot in this industry, so you just have to learn to deal with it and move on.

Do a search on here for advice. I know we've discussed attitude problems and how to deal with them a couple times in the past.


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## Van (Dec 26, 2008)

Wel, as Eboy said; _" You're going to run into this attitude a lot in this industry, so you just have to learn to deal with it and move on."_
Now, You said you were the PM/TD on this project, as such you typically don't have a a lot to say about whom gets cast etc, etc. Often we who take on the mantle of TD get saddled with the responsibility, and next to no authority, that being said, as PM I'm assuming you have the responsibility and authority over budgets. If the other folks ideas are over the top, out of budget range, or, conversely, way less than you think you are capable of, then you need to make those issues known. When all is said and done the Director is always going to get cake and the TD/PM/ME all get a nice warm feeling that nobody really notices, Kinda like taking a piss in a dark blue suit.

Take Eboy's advice, look on here, power struggles are always an issue and especially in an High School situation. Just remember when you sit down for that talk, don't get petualant or defensive, state your issues and let the peices fall where that may.


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## chris325 (Mar 18, 2009)

My school's student directed one act plays went on a few weeks ago, and only a few of the several initially selected student directors were actually still with the show. This was because my school's theatre director simply fired all of the power-hungry, world-revolves-around-me students and assigned replacements. If your show is being "overseen" (for lack of a better word) by a faculty member, confront him/her about it, and it's very likely something will be done. Also, at your school, is it considered a special privilege to direct this show?


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## icewolf08 (Mar 18, 2009)

chris325 said:


> My school's student directed one act plays went on a few weeks ago, and only a few of the several initially selected student directors were actually still with the show. This was because my school's theatre director simply fired all of the power-hungry, world-revolves-around-me students and assigned replacements. If your show is being "overseen" (for lack of a better word) by a faculty member, confront him/her about it, and it's very likely something will be done. Also, at your school, is it considered a special privilege to direct this show?



Just a quick Necropost warning. This thread is a few months old, and I believe it is one of the last posts by the OP who hasn't been back. So chances are the show is well over by now.


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