Friday, October 13, 2006

Noodle's Tour problems, Doodle's Advice

So Noodle has been touring the country for what seems like ages on like 5 different tours. The current one is issue-based theatre in which she plays a bully in one play and then gets bullied in another. Well, offstage it seems there is some emotional bullying going on. I encouraged her when she said she wanted to create a blog for the tour, to keep her family and friends updated, and to do some venting. Informational and therapeutic all at the same time. Not to mention I've become Crazy Blog Doodle this week. Hooray. So in a recent post on her blog she talked of several issues. I will lay them out for you:
  • #1 problem is a lack of proper communication
  • She is 26, the other actors are younger (22, 23, 23).
  • Girl has done this schmidt before, A LOT (They ain't done too much).
  • She has a BIG personality, that she has to keep in check in this situation
  • The company KEEPS messing up their checks. Every Week!!
  • Let's faceit, they live, work, breathe, eat, & sleep basically attached to each other's hips 24/7, it's a potentially stressful situation
  • Moody mood mood moodley moody! It seems like someone is always in a bad mood or pouting or not talking to someone or some other such nonsense

Anyhoodle, you get the idea. Here's what I posted on her site as a bit of advice. She wrote back saying it was good advice and I sounded like an adult and that made me feel good, so I'm posting it here:

Dearest Noodle:

I think your suggestion to simply say "Hey everyone, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, stand back." is a great one. Unfortunately, I think the age difference is what is showing here. When one is not mature enough to address his feelings they just get muddled and come out as frustrated shrugging and such. I find that someone pouting in a corner is waiting desperately for you to come by and tap them on the shoulder. Then when the response is a shrug, it's a cry to ask again. I say leave 'em in the corner. He put himself there, he can bring himself out, and if he can't it's not your responsibility. As for the paychecks, you absolutely did the right thing by demanding they fix the problem immediately and give you ALL the money owed, and the kids who didn't request being compensated should have for the principle if not for the need of the actual money. You know how I am with my money. You can touch my best friend, but you better not touch my money! Hang in there. I find that performers who have not gone through experiences like this don't appreciate it when they get a really good gig with really great and professional people. You'll appreciate it so much more because you will have perspective and that rocks.

When it all boils down to it though, Doodle,
Jason B

5 comments:

Unknown said...

You and I both know that you are right. But that's where it ends and that is what makes it so frustrating. I mean this is a really weird situation where I can sort of say I am in the right, or in the know? Or at least that my feelings are justified. But that doesn't even matter because the majority is really young and here I am oldy mcNoodle off to the side. I am in the minority (no pun intended) and isn't the minority usually wrong? So I have to go through each day with miss Passivity, mr Moody, and mr Know-it-all, who are all 3-4 yrs younger than I thinking they have seen it all and know it all. that's rough.

Macoosh said...

hmmm, that sucks. if it's the noodle i know, i think she'll rise above and make of it the best she can. and then she'll come back, get another part and laugh about it over drinks. hopefully i'll be there to laugh w/ her.

-macooshoodle:)

Macoosh said...

me again.

I want to be invited!!!!

and noodle...feel free to visit my site as well!!!

MISS YOU!

Darla said...

Poor noodle. I think she (as the oldest and most experienced, and from the sound of it, most talented and most likely to succeed, can we all vote on this and make her a yearbook already?) has every right to a) demand money. (i do even when i dont deserve it, and in this case, she very much deserves it b) expect more from people. if they want to be idiots, fine, but no use in pretending that kind of behavior is acceptable when it's not. She shouldn't have to be unhappy just because everyone else is.

JasonBSchmidt said...

Noodle, invite Macoosh and Darladiva to view your tour blog, please. You have your own reality blog show, starring YOU!