My day job isn't a job like any other.
My day job, the job I do when I'm not writing or creating, luckily for me involves a LOT of writing and creating.
I am the
3MT Venue's Marketing Officer (you know how the saying goes 'She's not just an associate artist...') and working on this side of things has taught me more than any performance or degree probably ever could do about the world of making theatre.
The most important thing I have learnt? It's not just a show.
It's a production, emphasis on the PRODUCT.
We make theatre because we want the world to hear the story we are telling, see the opinion we are giving, but unfortunately, most of the time, the world doesn't really care.
In all areas of the creative industries more and more people and artists are spending more time on the production than the product.
In both my dream job and may day job, the thing I worry about most is having an audience in. Because what is the point of worrying whether or not your show is any good if nobody gets to see it?
On Friday I had a lovely chat-cum-meeting with Nancy Monaghan, the genius behind
Dirty Laundry Theatre.
This autumn, we will be collaborating together on a production whilst actually creating and performing two separate shows.
Woman Scorned will also be performed on the same nights as my new show
Love Letters and Other Pointless Scribbles coming from two opposite ends of the 'girl in love' scale the two shows compliment each other on theme so it seemed only natural that we come together to present a night of new theatre.
Here's the logic...
1. A problem shared is a problem halved - marketing is HARD really hard, now we have a new interesting angle, and half the responsibility!
2. It's win win (win) - I know and trust Nancy, and we have a very similar mind set and high work ethic. We can share audiences and create ourselves new ones, and there is a third win for the 3MT, instead of having 4 nights of short pieces of theatre, it has two nights, more likely to be full and with an appropriate interval time.
3. New eye-deas - I'm not short of ideas when it comes to creating a show, nor is Nancy. But when it comes to making a whole production, what more can you do alone than knock up a poster and hope for the best? Come together and there's the possibility of workshops, increased presence, new angles etc. Simply put, two heads are better than one!
And I am sure there are a million other logical reasons why this JUST MAKES SENSE.
But here is what I really like about it.
I find it hard to create with other people. I'm not confident in presenting my ideas before they are complete, and often in my creative process I have a very strong picture of how a show will be but until I get to the finish line, I find it hard to explain this vision to other people. As a result of this I have found my ideas in the past pushed aside, making me even less confident in group work.
I like working and creating alone.
But having to do everything else on your own? That SUCKS, and while I would rather have complete responsibility for my own work and would never push that on to some one else, having some one along with you for the journey? Then that is just good company, especially if they are carrying exactly the same luggage as you are!
And the key word constantly bandied around in the creative industries? Collaboration. Well we have got creative about collaborating!
So there you have it, I wouldn't profess to this being a treasure trove of wisdom, but, it does seem just a little bit genius!
Stephanie x
