No Autographs, Please!

Celebrities are people.  Whether we can admit this or not, we’re all just people in the same industry trying to make a living doing what we do.  Now, of course, Actors more easily “blow up” and turn into household names rather than Stage Managers or even Directors.  Actors put themselves out there: image, talent, & all their work.  When they’re on stage, the audience sees them and go to the stage door, waiting to scream and gather autographs.  The same audience member who gets “ga-ga” over and actor could elbow the director without even knowing it while trying to get to “the talent.”  There’s no doubt that this could sometimes be annoying for the actor, especially after 10 years of fame.

In this industry, it is bound to happen that as our successful careers develop, we will work with more and more “celebrities” and high-profile actors.  It is our job as professionals to make it just like any other day at work and not to treat it any differently.  I’ve worked with my fair share of celebrities and have recently “flown solo” for the first time on a high-profile event.  The theatre was the cleanest I’ve ever seen it, everyone was more dressed up than usual, and the Artistic Directors sat in my rehearsal for 10 minutes before I informed them that the highest profile actor attending wouldn’t be arriving until 3 hours later (at which news, they left, seemingly disappointed).

I held my own and did not “ga-ga” over any of the talented actors.  I arranged a private dining area for my highest profile actor so he could eat without being disturbed.  The agent of said actor and other actors thanked me for taking care of them and holding my own as I would any other rehearsal as a Stage Manager.  Was I nervous & intimidated when I found out my cast for what I thought was going to be “just another staged reading?”  Yes.  Hell yes.  But I’ve been lucky enough to work with even higher-profiled actors previously and I recalled what my mentor/greatest-stage-manager-ever did to deal with the public and create a safe space for someone who is just a person, despite the Oscars, Tonys, recognizable name, and overall success.  Actors are actors and they cannot produce their best work if they think they have to “perform” for each section of the rehearsal.  It is the job of the Stage Manager to make everyone comfortable, no matter how high or low profile a cast you end up having.

That being said, if you are working with a celebrity, I find it inappropriate to ask for an autograph or a picture during the work day.  (If a photo/signing has been pre-arranged or if you have a publicist, that’s a different story).  I say this because – after holding curtain for 25 minutes because of the over sold out crowd – I  finally called places to my well-known cast.  It took at least another 5 minutes to get the cast to places, as the higher-ups I was working for decided “places” meant a perfect opportunity to grab paraphernalia for the celeb to sign “make it out to my mother, she’s a big fan…”  Now, as graciously as the actor handled this, I was not only annoyed that we were starting 1/2 hour late, but I was appalled at the timing and unprofessionalism of my producers.  I guess my point is, remain professional no matter whom you’re working with, and you will gain respect and appreciation from all parties involved.