Evaluation
Overall I feel this project was a success. I was able to create a working space that highlighted the massive space that ASU offers. The product was full of magic and mystery, and felt like a much more expensive show, and not only because it was more expensive than originally planned.
Still, this was not an easy process for me, but the past several productions I have worked on have not been easy for me. Upon consideration of the reasons for this I have determined that there are two major personal reasons; communication and adaptation.
My personal communication style is not of this world, or at least not of this hemisphere. While taking my intercultural communications class at ASU as part of my general education requirements, I learned about a significant difference in Westernized culture verses Eastern cultures. While in Western civilizations we work with time lines, deadlines, and schedules, in the Eastern world the focus is on the people. A goal is not reached because a date was set. Instead a goal is reached because someone is counting on you to complete it. This is not to say that no one is counting on you to complete a deadline, but there is a different focus when the date is important rather than the person. With a person as the focus the relationship becomes a key factor in achieving goals. This can be seen in Western culture in few situations like quitting smoking. Generally people don't quit smoking because of a deadline set, but rather achieve the goal because of people who are close to them.
I spent a lot of time thinking about this and have reflected on my life. My upbringing and job experiences have (in my opinion, fortunately) provided this environment for achieving goals. However, when I get into professional situations I have a difficult time adjusting to schedules and deadlines when the personal connection is not present. If I do not get the sense that you want to work with me then I do not want to work with you. Unfortunately, this gets me in trouble when my judgments are incorrect. This is something I need to work on.
The second person revelation is my desire to continually adapt. While often this is a wonderful trait to have, there are a few instances that it becomes a problem. The scenic designers job is nearly completed before others begin. The design must be set before lights, media, and staging can even start, not to mention the fact that builders need to prepare and build way in advance. I have a tendency to leave things out of the original plans feeling like it should be determined by the process. However, when the piece is already built it is often difficult and nearly always frustrating to change. The other time this becomes a problem is toward the end of the show. As a designer I should fight for things to stay in, but when people get frustrated my adaptive nature kicks in and I am the first to say, "Let's just cut it."
Jake stopped me during this show from making a serious poor decision to cut the line art. Although it was more hours to complete the line art, the effect the line art had on the aesthetic of the stage was remarkable. The stage became a carefully crafted piece of art, an enormous sculpture, rather than giant blocks for the actors to stand on.
I want to be a collaborator. That is still what intrigues me most about theatre. There is no other place where so many artists are able to creatively collaborate over and over again. From this project I have learned that this element of collaboration is what it important to me. I do not need to be the scenic designer, and I am very blessed to have multiple talents so that I do not always have to be. But the experience is fulfulling to me because of the collaboration and I desire to participate in theatre with real collaborators, creative people who can give and take. Those are the elements of this show that I will cherish. The rough times will be forgotten but I will remember the moments when the team had fourteen shows worth of ideas to sort through to find the best solution for our audience.
Still, this was not an easy process for me, but the past several productions I have worked on have not been easy for me. Upon consideration of the reasons for this I have determined that there are two major personal reasons; communication and adaptation.
My personal communication style is not of this world, or at least not of this hemisphere. While taking my intercultural communications class at ASU as part of my general education requirements, I learned about a significant difference in Westernized culture verses Eastern cultures. While in Western civilizations we work with time lines, deadlines, and schedules, in the Eastern world the focus is on the people. A goal is not reached because a date was set. Instead a goal is reached because someone is counting on you to complete it. This is not to say that no one is counting on you to complete a deadline, but there is a different focus when the date is important rather than the person. With a person as the focus the relationship becomes a key factor in achieving goals. This can be seen in Western culture in few situations like quitting smoking. Generally people don't quit smoking because of a deadline set, but rather achieve the goal because of people who are close to them.
I spent a lot of time thinking about this and have reflected on my life. My upbringing and job experiences have (in my opinion, fortunately) provided this environment for achieving goals. However, when I get into professional situations I have a difficult time adjusting to schedules and deadlines when the personal connection is not present. If I do not get the sense that you want to work with me then I do not want to work with you. Unfortunately, this gets me in trouble when my judgments are incorrect. This is something I need to work on.
The second person revelation is my desire to continually adapt. While often this is a wonderful trait to have, there are a few instances that it becomes a problem. The scenic designers job is nearly completed before others begin. The design must be set before lights, media, and staging can even start, not to mention the fact that builders need to prepare and build way in advance. I have a tendency to leave things out of the original plans feeling like it should be determined by the process. However, when the piece is already built it is often difficult and nearly always frustrating to change. The other time this becomes a problem is toward the end of the show. As a designer I should fight for things to stay in, but when people get frustrated my adaptive nature kicks in and I am the first to say, "Let's just cut it."
Jake stopped me during this show from making a serious poor decision to cut the line art. Although it was more hours to complete the line art, the effect the line art had on the aesthetic of the stage was remarkable. The stage became a carefully crafted piece of art, an enormous sculpture, rather than giant blocks for the actors to stand on.
I want to be a collaborator. That is still what intrigues me most about theatre. There is no other place where so many artists are able to creatively collaborate over and over again. From this project I have learned that this element of collaboration is what it important to me. I do not need to be the scenic designer, and I am very blessed to have multiple talents so that I do not always have to be. But the experience is fulfulling to me because of the collaboration and I desire to participate in theatre with real collaborators, creative people who can give and take. Those are the elements of this show that I will cherish. The rough times will be forgotten but I will remember the moments when the team had fourteen shows worth of ideas to sort through to find the best solution for our audience.