***
The old guy saw the story in a vintage magazine in a used book store. It had been published when he had been about 50. He said he'd never read it, but he bought it, for a dollar, because it was so obviously about him.
By the next morning, though, he had decided he was going to read it after all, aloud.
So he got his little music stand all set up in front of the full-length mirror. He laid out the old magazine and began...
"It says (he read) the setting is a small music conservatory in the lower midwest, and
the objective is to build a good theater program to strengthen the music programs there.
And the people, now. The people it says are: Byron Derrick, Executive Director of the Conservatory; Neil Graham, Director of Theater, hired one year ago; And Jim Greenwood, Resident in Theater, hired one month ago.
He said to his mirror, with a wink: "Jim Greenwood. That's what they called me," .
1
He began to read, aloud, making eye contact now and then with his mirror:"Listening sympathetically to others' complaints about your colleague may seem generous and kind," as I said. "But at some point, Jim, your just listening may encourage still more complaints. Whether you say you agree, or not."
He nodded, as though 'everybody knows that, Byron.' (The old guy winked at the mirror again.)
"So just tolerating the gripes might promote more gripes. Do you see?"
"Oh, I don't criticize him myself. Oh my goodness no! I'd never be unprofessional like that." (No, I'd never, ever be unprofessional! the old guy thought.)
"I know, Jim. I know you wouldn't," I kept after it. "But there's a fine line between letting someone bad-mouth him - you know, without setting them straight - and bad-mouthing him yourself. You gotta be careful about that."
"I can't just tell them them to shut up!" (Shut up! What?)
"No, of course you can't. But you can say, 'Look, he's an experienced director. He knows what he's doing, probably. You can say: Go with the flow, you might learn something."
"I couldn't just stifle their opinions. Geez!"
"You can say you sympathize with their hurt feelings - or whatever it is - but it happens to everybody, that's what it's like in the arts world. Sometimes we just have to suck it up...' That kind of thing, you see?"
"He's just terrible to work with, Byron! Not only the volunteers but even the real cast and crew sometimes: they say it too. I'm just saying it's not easy being the other guy, you know?"
"Let me just say this, Jim. You need to distance yourself from this kind of gritching and bitching. Otherwise, it'll begin to seem you're 'with them' (holding up his hands and making quote marks) and 'against him.' You don't want that."
He nodded and smiled. "I'm just telling you what I'm hearing, Byron. Just sayin'..."
(Just sayin'...)
*
Byron's perspective:
Jim is so smooth and self-confident, it was surprising to me to see how naive he is. He's trying to be sensitive to the emotional needs of our people and doesn't recognize the big picture, which is that to serve all our needs he has to pooh-pooh complaints and accentuate the positive. Glad we had this talk. He can charm a bird out of a tree, as they say... He'll turn it around.
Jim's perspective:
Well, I guess I told him! Byron has been naive about Neil's failings. I've got a good start now on getting that Wanna-Be put in his place... Maybe even getting him out of here. Glad we had this talk.
(It was useless, the old guy thought. That old fart didn't have a clue. But it was probably good to have had that talk. Yeah, okay.)
2
"So Neil," I said: "how's Jim settling in? Finding his place, is he?" (To the mirror: Now, to that other feeb...)
"Oh, I guess so. Actually, we don't see all that much of each other. He's working mostly in the daytime now, and all my rehearsals - acourse - are at night..."
"And for the first month, it was the other way around?"
"I guess. Although, with him being brand new and all, I tried to find reasons to be hanging around during their rehearsals. In case he needed anything."
"It was a clever show, didn't you think?" (The best Shakespeare, ever, on that stage!)
"Oh yeah. Too bad we don't have an audience built up yet. We'll get there. We'll keep plugging away."
"How's your show progressing?"
"Pretty well, I guess. A couple of the younger folks were a little cranky at first. But we've gotten beyond that. The results should be good. Do you think we can get more people to come see us?"
*
Neil's perspective:
I don't know anywhere where the head guy takes such an interest. We'll have this place up and humming soon with that kind of support. I oughtta just poke my head in once a week or so, to keep him feeling a part of things. Glad he called me in this time.
Byron's perspective:
Neil must know Jim resents his leadership, but you'd never know it. I'll have to keep in touch, if I can find the time... (You betcha I resented him. You got that right, fathead.)
3
Midway through Jim's second year, Byron's notes to the file:
We started our meeting five or ten minutes late, when Jim arrived. I began by explaining that the new theater program we three were trying to get started in the Music Conservatory now required us to spend some serious time together, on a regular basis. I wanted them to mark their calendars on every Wednesday for the next couple of months from 10:30 to noon, when we would meet there in the conference room off the dining hall. We should all plan on being there the whole time, since this work required all three of us together.
They didn't respond. I didn't invite them to.
I said that for our hopes and dreams to work out, we had to function like a team. We all had to share the same goals, and each of us had to support the others individually, if we were to have any chance to succeed.
The fact is, I said, you two aren't working well together. In fact, you may knowingly or unconsciously be undermining the efforts of the other. Our work during these weekly sessions will be to reduce and subdue the forces driving us apart, so we can get back to heading in the same direction again.
Both of you must resist any pressures you sense of volunteers, students, actors and tech people "choosing up sides." Those for Greenwood and those for Graham. That won't do. Let's do whatever it takes to have one solid, unified team, okay?
They didn't challenge my claim that they were not working well together. Neil said theatre is by nature a team effort, but paradoxically every performance is very personal. Jim said he'd never had any trouble getting along with others before.
An hour passed quickly. The conversation could not be very well summarized, but it was not particularly emotional. I concluded by telling them that next Wednesday, we'd begin by each of them sharing what positive features the other one brings to our program. At least three things each, I said.
*
Byron's perspective:
That wasn't too bad. I don't think they could have been expecting what I said. For two strong-willed, arty guys they were quite subdued. I wish it were all over and done with already, though.
Neil's perspective:
Byron doesn't avoid the oogy jobs, does he? I hope he's not being naive to think we can work it out between us. I don't know what's going on with Jim. But he's a good director, creative, different. I had high hopes when we brought him in... Maybe each of us could just do our own thing.
Jim's perspective:
Well, I can waste an hour a week, I guess.
(I can waste an hour a week! the old man repeated, with apparent delight. "Creative?" "Diffferent"?)
4
To Neil and Jim:
After three substantive conversations, I'm writing to summarize what we've learned is needed to improve working relations between the two of you, without which the program will not be able to move forward.
Whether justifiably or not, Jim feels Neil does not keep him informed about developments affecting the Theatre Department. Actors, students, and crew members - and possibly members of the general public - sometimes ask him about this or that activity they've heard about but that Neil has not mentioned or explained to Jim. This makes him feel like a chump, whose ideas and plans don't matter.
(I am not a chump!)
Whether justifiably or not, Neil on the other hand is concerned that Jim may care more about his own success and reputation than about the Conservatory's or the Theater program's. It's a little as though he wouldn't care if the program failed as long as people thought he himself had done a good job.
Keeping in mind each man's worst suspicions about the other, Neil will consciously look for items of information about the program he can share with Jim. He will communicate two or even three times a week, every week, about such news.
Jim, on the other hand, will make a conscious effort to think of ways he can contribute to the success of the Conservatory's theater program above and beyond his own activities. For instance, he can propose to Neil initiatives Jim himself will undertake to better publicize the shows Neil has in rehearsal. He will do at least one thing a week along that line which he has brought up first with Neil.
Next Wednesday, at our joint meeting, each of you will report to me what you have done along these lines, giving the other an opportunity to comment.
*
Jim's perspective:
So now I'm his PR guy! If no one come to see Endgame, it'll be my fault. ...But I'll play along. I can handle it; I'm an actor, aren't I?
Neil's perspective:
Byron's plan follows logically from what what we've been saying. But I can't help thinking we're only wandering around on the surface, leaving root causes untouched. Some days I feel like I've already got too much to do, but it'll be pretty simple to pass along to Jim whatever chit-chat I might hear.
Byron's perspective:
Put up or shut up. Let's get going.
(I am an actor, aren't I? the old man said to himself)
5
"Hey, MariLou. My secretary has gone to make some copies for me. Can I help you?"
"Well, I came to make an appointment to see you, as a matter of fact. Just ten minutes or so, I would say."
"How 'bout now? I could give you a few minutes now...?"
We went into the inner office and sat down, facing each other across a little table.
"I just wanted to say that... We like Mr. Greenwood a lot," MariLou said. "He's about the best anybody's ever seen."
(The best! he admits it now, the old guy reading aloud thought.)
"Well, that's good to hear. You and the others sure did a good job on the Shakespeare last month."
MariLou nodded.
"Mr. Greenwood's concept, setting the action in a toy box, was a novel idea. And appropriate too!"
"Yeah," she said laughing. "It was a lot of fun."
"Most of the Shakespeare plays I've seen which are that innovative, well you know; it just distracts from the original, but..."
"It was a good show. My parents came all the way from Springfield."
"So, MariLou. Did you discuss coming over to talk with me today - I'm glad you did, you know - did you and Mr. Greenwood talk about it?"
"He said it would be okay. Did you two know each other before he started working here?"
"He directed my wife and daughter in some community theater shows... I was pleased we could make a place for him at the Conservatory."
"Well, he is the best to work with. Better than some others, I mean."
"What does he do that Mr. Graham doesn't do, for example? You're working crew on Endgame, aren't you?"
"Mr. Greenwood kids around a lot with us. He hangs around just to chat, you know. That Mr. Graham - I mean he is a very good director. Last year, Cabaret? you know? But he's, well, he's 'the Boss.' You know what I mean?"
"MariLou, I'm glad you came over to say Hello. We can both be glad, and proud I'd say, that in our little program we can have both Mr. Graham and Mr. Greenwood."
Jim wasn't picking up his phone, so I left a breezy little message telling him not to send any more actor testimonials my way. It's how well he and Neil work together that matters, not how much the cast and crew love him. "See you Wednesday, Jim."
*
Byron's perspective:
What have I done wrong? When we interviewed for the Theater Program Director, Neil Graham was clearly the right guy - right degree, right experience, good record - so I hired him. But Jim Greenwood looked like such a good match for what we need to get this thing off the ground, building a theater reputation to balance our long-established prominence in Music. So I made a place for him and told Neil he was going to have a colleague after all. Was it favoritism? Did Jim sense it? Does he think our friendship will give him immunity or something?
Jim's perspective:
If the dweeblings wanna go tell the Exec. how much they like me, what can I do? Betcha no one's saying that about that other guy.... (No one would have said that, the old man said looking at the mirror.)
6
"Norton, you told me you came here to sing tenor and not to monkey around on the stage, but you were great in Endgame." I had struck up a friendly relation with one of our proteges who worked part time in the cafeteria.
"Thanks," Norton replied. "Thanks a lot. It was hard work."
"Yeah. How was it anyway? The whole thing, audition right through strike. A good experience for you? Not so good...?"
"No. It was hard work, like I said. Exhausting, every night. Emotional sometimes. But the thing is, we had to do it. We had to do it like that. We had to work it out. So it was not good. But really good. I learned a lot, I can tell you."
"Do you think the others thought the effort was worth it?"
"Two or three dropped out after the first week or so. The rest of us right now are a team, or a family. It's like that when it works. Mr. Graham did that. Gotta give him credit."
"Did some music and theater folks you know from other shows come to see you?"
"Not as many as I'd hoped, but yes. ...And lemme tell you, they were impressed. We might get some more auditions next month."
I'd sent Neil an email: "The Beckett was very good. Don't let up...."
7
I asked: "Do we have any progress to report? 50 at Friday's performance, 63 at Saturday's - That's pretty good for us, isn't it? But can we be sure it's because of anything Jim did?"
"I did get that newspaper photographer and reporter out here," Jim said.
Neil chimed in: "Yes, Jim did that. And I just know that made a difference."
"Go on, Neil. What other efforts did Jim make?"
"Well, he ..." as Neil looked over at Jim, "he talked it up with people he knows. He told me he called that community theater director down the road where he appeared last summer..."
Jim nodded. "I know quite a lot of performing people in the surrounding towns." Didn't seem like he had done much on his assigned task, though, I was thinking.
"Jim, what information has Neil shared with you about what's going on? You know, his side of the bargain..."
"Well, he came by the office a couple of times," Jim didn't seem to have thought about this part. "There were two different families this week looking at the conservatory for their musical children, whom he met with to talk about theater. ...And he and I are going to get together next week to draft our season for next year."
"Do you feel you're a part of things? as far as you know?"
"As far as I know, well, I would say so, probably."
"So, are we making progress?"
Neil was nodding Yes. Jim said, "Well, it's early, too early to tell, isn't it?"
*
Jim's perspective:
No one would be able to get them to come see a Graham show, why would they? They can do better things with their time. But they will come to my shows, and good things will happen, eventually. No rush, no hurry. (Well, the old guy admitted, I was thinking something like that okay. Yeah.)
Neil's perspective:
We're having a pretty good season. A couple more, and a couple of breaks with publicity... and we'll be on our way.
Byron's perspective:
Neil's instincts are to dictate, not manage; that method can work on a show, but with his colleagues? Can Neil work against his instincts? Share decision-making with Jim, for instance? But then, I don't know what's going on behind Jim's pearly whites... Could be anything, from loyal cooperation to full-throat revolution. He is an actor, isn't he?
(He is an actor, isn't he? The old guy grinned fiercely at the mirror.)
8
To: Neil and to Jim
Thank you both for sending me your notes, Jim listing Neil's strongest qualities as he sees them and Neil listing Jim's. I said you could write them confidentially to me, and I would make a summary.
Jim said Neil is very organized; he plans the work and works the plan.
Neil said Jim "inspires" his cast and crew, and "They give him more than they know they have to give."
*
Byron's perspective:
But can they work together? That's the key question, isn't it? Or rather, do they want to work together: is that it?
9
"Jim, you seem upset." We were just beginning our regular Wednesday a.m. session.
"I am upset. You would be too."
It turned out Jim was lodging a complaint that Neil was making plans without keeping his junior colleague in the loop, certainly without engaging Jim in making the plans. Some actors had told Jim Neil had already sent inquiries to publishers about production rights for next season. Jim was indignant.
Neil was surprised at Jim's reaction, explaining that preparing for his meeting with Jim to plan the season, he was finding out if some of the shows he was thinking about were within usual budget limits. I said: "You mean you were just trying to avoid working with Jim on a plan that wouldn't work?"
But Neil's saying Yes didn't seem to calm Jim down. He didn't seem concerned either that he hadn't made contact with the high school drama teachers in the region, as he had told Neil he would do last week. Neil thinks we could do some Saturday morning workshops or a summer drama camp...
Next year Jim will direct the musical. Neil was hoping it would be an audience favorite like "Oklahoma," although they couldn't get the rights to that particular one. Jim had been looking for a real popular choice too, and suggested "Annie."
As the conversation wound down, I said next week instead of our usual joint format, I would meet with each of these guys one-on-one beginning with Neil at 10.
*
Byron's perspective
I can't tell if Jim was really angry or if just acting upset made his point that Neil was impossible to work with. Neil seems to be trying, working against his impulsive, go-it-alone instincts. Is Jim working against his instinct to trash Neil so that he looks better himself?
10
Byron's notes to the file:
Right out of the shoot, I told Neil to relax. I said I was pleased at his efforts to work with me on this project of trying to improve working relations in Theater. What did he think about things in general?
Neil addressed this question globally, repeating things he had said from the Get-Go: a full time tech person, a better cyclorama, several new spotlights, stuff like that. I listened and then asked, What about how it's working out with you and Jim?
"You know," he said, looking into my face: "We're getting the job done. When you asked me if two actor-directors were hired instead of me plus a tech director, could between us we cover the tech stuff...? Remember?"
"Yes. You said you could, if you could work as collaborators, number 2 doing some tech for you on your shows and you yourself doing some tech for number 2 on his or her shows. Right?"
"I guess so, yes." He smiled: "Is that why we've been having these meetings? ...Because there's never been any problem with that. Ten minutes before Endgame curtain, Jim was sweeping the floor on stage - on his own initiative - because he didn't want anyone's footing to be unsure. No problem. We're professionals."
I laughed. "No, that's not why we've been meeting. But do you think, all things included, that everything's hunky-dory? Really?"
"I think we're getting the job done," he said. "But you're the boss."
*
"So, Jim. I have to say I'm disappointed in your lack of effort to improve working relations with Neil. Your heart just isn't in it."
"I've been doing what you told me to... I mean, Haven't I?" (Haven't I?)
"The point is, you don't seem committed to improving the situation." I added: "Neil at least seems to be trying."
We talked for ten or fifteen minutes more. Jim was his usual cordial, well-mannered self. But he didn't add much. I concluded as I had with Neil. I would give it two or three more months before deciding what our goals should be.
11
"Now Neil, I told you, both... I told you together. I didn't want to have to choose between you but if the two of couldn't work together, I would choose. Didn't I say that?"
"Yes, sure you said exactly that." He paused for a minute: "So, don't you see? To me, that meant if Jim didn't want to work with me - and wouldn't bother trying to convince you we could do just fine working independently of each other... Well, then you were going to choose him. Not me. Him."
(Not him. Me! See? That - the old guy said out loud - That's what everybody thought.)
"I told him, Neil, you were trying to make it work between the two of you, and Jim wasn't even trying... And that meant he had to be the one to go."
"I get it now. I won't let you down."
"But I still think the two of you would have made a great team."
*
Jim's perspective:
That dinky little place wasn't right for me. I'm better than that. Who's next?"
*
The old guy leaned forward. "Maybe I haven't set the world on fire," he said. "But... Was I lucky to escape that madhouse, or what?"
***
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