The Responsibility

   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