So this is just sort of an addendum to the blog I posted a couple of days ago (“fear & prejudice, and fear of prejudice...and fear”). Feel free to read it too, if you’ve not. (read it here)
While I was telling the world (okay, I know “the world” doesn’t read this, so...while I was telling a handful of mostly anonymous people) about this whole thing, I didn’t mention the names of the show or the theatre. I was trying not to be too bitter or catty or back-bitey or whatever.
I’m over that now.
The theatre is Theatre Guild of Rockingham County, (their website) and the show is All Shook Up. The artistic director is Rose Cutuli Wray and the production chairperson & technical director is Jeff Mericle.
I have a friend who warned me some time ago to back out, back out, get out of it, don’t do it.!
Well, I’m generally not one to back out of a situation just because someone else had a bad experience. But maybe I should’ve. It would’ve saved me some grief...well, not grief, rage...and the effort I put into getting ready for auditions and making recordings for the choreographer.
Anyway...
Last night was their first rehearsal. The director, to whom I’d given my script and score when I quit, stopped by to pick up my notes on the singers from auditions. He’d asked if I’d give them to the new music director. For a moment I considered being a dick and saying no. But that’s really not who I am. So, he went to the rehearsal. Apparently, as soon as he got there he was called into a meeting of the board, where he was fired for not respecting the board or not supporting them or something completely ridiculous like that. And(!) they already had hired another director who was there for that first rehearsal.
They hired someone else, and didn’t tell him until he drove (45 minutes or so?) to the rehearsal.
That just seems kinda fucked up to me.
That’s what they did to the guy who was upset about the racism bullshit, but who was patient enough to wait a few hours to see how it was gonna go down, and who tried to get me to wait and then to come back into the production after they'd decided to go along with our casting. This is a guy who’d put a lot of prep work into the show and was really excited about it. This is a guy who’s done shows with them before and, I believe, was going to do more with them.
Rose and “the board”...? They ain’t right.
So, that’s the latest on the story as I know it.
Again, mainly I’m just writing this to say: Theatre Guild of Rockingham County and Rose Wray. (their contact page: "If you have any additional questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you!")
This is a very sad turn of events. TGRC should be courting and reaching out to the Africian American community, not alienating them. At the rate this theater is going, no one will be willing to direct for them. Sad.
ReplyDeleteWow. Having worked w/ TGRC at one time for 5 years, I am disgusted by this event. Honestly though, I'm not surprised. I was looking forward to seeing this show, but now I can say that ignorance has turned me off from it moreso than a casting choice ever could have. I support the choices you, the choreographer and the director (blululu) made. Why let you cast the show at all if someone is going to change it? I'm a teacher/director myself and I firmly believe in tolerance and acceptance and instilling those ideals in my students to strenghten what they do. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIf the board was going to do this then they shouldn't have chosen to do a production of this show to begin with. If they committed to All Shook Up they should have trusted the vision of the director they chose to work with in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI have worked with TGRC for 6 years and I know Jeff and Rose intimately. I know that neither of them is prejudiced. I have also been lucky enough to work with both Chris Tilley and Jay Smith (the director in question) and I think they are both very talented individuals. That being said, it seems there is likely more to this story than is in the blog. If you have ever worked with TGRC in the past, I urge you to not let this blog jade your past experiences. If you have never worked with TGRC in the past, I urge you to go out and work with them before you make any judgments. The true losers here are the TGRC actors. Because they never got the chance to work with Chris.
ReplyDeleteI've done many shows with TGRC...It is all about the Rose. When a community theater puts casting choices over concerns for box office sales, they have lost their focus. TGRC might want to consider some staffing changes.
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