I am
currently in a beautiful part of the country, playing a fantastic role, in a gorgeous
show! It is fair to say that I have had worse moments and lower points in my
life! Things are going well…however, human nature will always reign and life
will continually throw the curveballs that we are left (responsible for) to do
our damndest to catch (or dodge depending on the game).
A show
or performance, much like any other profession, involves collaboration. We as a
species rely on collaboration (sometimes much to my chagrin but hey, I never
said I was perfect!). Actors not only have their lines and their personal work to
do but they also have directors and stage managers, co-stars or scene partners,
sometimes music directors and choreographers to collaborate with. It is a world
that consists of smaller parts that come together to form a performance for an
audience, which can be seen as the final piece of the puzzle. This isn’t an
equation created for the sole purpose of theatrical endeavors; this is the way
it is in the work force…any work force. Farmers need land, crops or livestock,
and exporters; writers need editors and publishers; executives need assistants,
staff, accountants; and they all need consumers. Librarians have employers, and
students have teachers. It is all a part of the cosmic give and take…this cycle
of life. Best put by one of my favorite Haitian artists, Beethova Obas:
“nou chak nou gon
misyon
nan sak chwazi bay
plon
fok gen sak pou pren
plon”
“We all have a
mission
With those who choose
to give lead
There must be those
to take lead”
As I
spoke to my lovely mother today, I was reminded that though “the more” does
sometimes mean “the merrier,” what also happens is that responsibility gets divied-up
and shared among the population which now makes it easier to point fingers when
things may falter and/or go “not-so-much-as-planned.” When collaborating as we
all do on a daily basis, and responsibilities are so thinly dispersed due to
shear volume, it can sometimes lead to confusion and a lack of clarity,
questions as to who is responsible for what. This is where the hierarchy, food
chain, or pecking order comes into play, and job descriptions are developed. There
are stipulations spelled out in an agreement between an employer and an
employee. This is normally where the employer says, “this is what I need from
you,” and the employee says (theoretically), “well, this is what I’ll do it for.”
And the contract is signed. It is now your job to do your job, and it is their
job to do theirs.
Fair!
As a
manager it would be my RESPONSIBILITY to know what needs to be done, then to
delegate the responsibilities to a “subordinate” (Gosh, I despise that word!).
As a teacher it is my RESPONSIBILITY to have a sturdy understanding of my
chosen subject, deem what is important, and communicate (teach) that to my
pupils. As an actor it is my RESPONSIBILITY to know where I am supposed to go,
what I’m suppose to say or sing, what I’m supposed to be wearing and what I’m
supposed to be holding at any given point during a show. It is also my
responsibility to listen and respond to what my scene partner has given me and
still stay as close to the script, direction, and choreography as
possible…there are seemingly a lot of responsibilities on any actor at anytime,
however, fret not, it isn’t brain-surgery or cancer research! ;)
But what
can sometimes be forgotten is that there is also the opposite, the reverse or “the
flip-side” if you will, of all this responsibility business. I call it the “Not
My Responsibility” (deep…I know). In all the things that I AM responsible for,
there are also the things that I am NOT responsible for…like the hem in my
pants, what the percussionist is playing at any given moment during the show,
NOR my scene partners entrances, costume changes, or lines. It is sometimes
difficult to relinquish some of these responsibilities because we are all
“striving for excellence” as a fellow actor once stated in a rehearsal that was
not his responsibility (or his right) to call. We all want to be a part of a
success and deliver a powerful lasting result, however, taking responsibility
for something that is not yours is actually a bit presumptuous and quite
frankly stingy. It is the mark of The Ego hard at work to take control and
ownership of any situation. Of struggling for superiority yet will ultimately
leaving you flat on your face in an omelette. (Does that compute??? “Flat on
your face” and “egg on your face” mixed into one? Yea? maybe?...Anyway!)
When the Ego spends so much time
outside of itself and worrying about other people’s responsibilities it doesn’t
realize that the first thing it neglects is it’s own. When we allow our Ego to
fully immerse in what others are doing, rather “supposed” to be doing or “not
supposed” to be doing, we run the risk of losing focus and ultimately not doing
our own jobs. Then what happens is we slip up, falter, make a mistake much like
humans do and there is no one left to blame but ourselves. Except now that the
Ego is out and defenses are up what do we do? We deflect and maybe literally
point a finger at someone else.
It is
important to be clear and honest about our responsibilities. It isn’t wrong to
say “that is not my responsibility” when it isn’t. On the contrary, it gives
someone else the opportunity to step up and take the responsibility, maybe be
the hero. Or it can illuminate a glitch in the responsibility assignments and
gives the opportunity to reassess, ultimately leaving the situation efficiently
and effectively resolved. If something does go wrong and it is your
responsibility, than how empowering to maturely accept it without blame or
judgment, and make the difference the next time the same responsibility comes
back around? We are none of us saints, or without flaws. We are humans who sometimes
make mistakes be it inconvenient or not. I challenge us to clearly define our
responsibilities and follow up by doing our jobs! Taking ownership of what is
ours, and relinquishing what isn’t while supporting one another the whole way
through.
…And if someone is pointing a blaming finger at you for
something that is not your responsibility than support yourself and know that
you’ve done all you could. This is also a beautiful exercise in compassion. If
someone is so quick to point to you, then the chances are that they aren’t
secure enough to take on their own responsibilities and that is something to be
aided…not scrutinized! When we feel unjustly judged or blamed it can sometimes
not have anything to do with us, and it is yet another opportunity to be a
better person!
Let’s remember to support each other and ourselves!
~S
