Late = Fired

I had the two most unfortunate, almost back-to-back experiences of my entire theatre existence and both occurred for the same reason.

Early = on-time. On-time = late. Late = fired.

I’d like to believe that it’s a very simple concept. I became aware of the meaning a long-time ago during high school musicals and the importance of being ready to start at 3:10 p.m. for our rehearsal. I didn’t actually learn that phrase until I got to college, on probably the first day of classes.

Recently, I had two very different actors arrive late to their rehearsals. It was my miserable duty to inform them of being late and the consequences for being so. And both actors responded…to put it kindly, I lost every ounce of respect I could have ever possibly had for either of them.

There’s a happy ending and less satisfying one. The first actor, I had the power to say “we are done” and I had him replaced immediately. As for the other actor, I don’t the right to have her replaced too – I reported it to the directors and it was left at that.

Later, I mentioned the incident to one of my professors offhandedly, frustrated with how that day had gone and the response was instant and stunning: “Give me the name and they’ll never be cast again.”

Early = on-time. On-time = late. Don’t get to Late = Fired. Don’t. Even if we never work together again, you’ll never work with anyone else if they know you got to fired. Just be early instead.