well, i try not to dwell on the horrible experience, but i am dreadful it will happen again. i am horrible at dealing with conflict-i usually let them win when they shouldn't b/c otherwise i may overdo and really make a mess. but i was in a play where the director was horribly rude! they were using my personal furniture for the set. during a rehearsal i came out with the wrong pair of shoes on by accident. i tried to hide it with blocking, but it was obvious the other actor couldn't handle changes, do i had to just go on and hope, i had already been yelled at several times for not being "loud" enough. yet, just the day b4 someone asked me how to project my voice b/c i was so much louder than the others. i'm willing to believe i wasn't, and that i needed to be louder. i tried to be as loud as i could, without screeming, and therefore losing my character, and then i really got laid into. then, after the shoes, she comes back there. i knew what was coming, so i stood my ground. she had already done this to others, and i was NOT happy with it! i tried to apologize. when i said, "it happened" she apparently thought i said, "it happens". firstly, it does, mistakes happen-get over it. secondly, i tried to apologize again and explain that she misunderstood me, but, "i am talking-you are not!" when she first cam back there, i had the attitude of, don't let her walk all over you, yet, be as professional/polite as possible. when she got up in my face and started her little speel-i had a contraction-or something like it (i was a few weeks pregnant) and it scared me to death. it was the day b4 opening night. i let her finish b/c i was too busy trying to figure out this new sensation. i have no idea what she said then. i decided it was best for me to leave the play-but then one of the other actors (who later proved to be malicious to me) said, "how can you do this to the rest of us". well, i couldn't, so i went on. during shows, other actors skipped whole pages, forgot props, and various other problems. i never heard her yell at them, just me and one or two others.

how far is a director allowed to go? what do i do in the future?

thanks. actually, i had two friends whom i made there to later go on and do another play in the community, and i asked how the cast/crew was there for future reference. i also plan on using neighboring towns for the most part. also, yes, i've been in community productions before, and forced myself to go onto other projects after this so that i wouldn't be soured. i just didn't want to make a dreadful mistake in the future. you know, she'd tell someone, who'd tell someone, etc. in fact, i got an e-mail from her during the first week of performance telling me that she's sorry i reacted the way that i did (making it apparent she was not sorry for a thing), and that i had no business being in acting if i couldn't "stomach" that. acting's not for everyone. that's when i knew it was her and not me. and, of course, i decided never to audition for her again. i've learned alot about this community as far as theatre goes, and it's vastly lacking. i've become aquanitances with one of the other directors in town, and i think well of her. so far... unfortunately, there are a handful of actors that are in just about every play in this town. oh, and the college director is cool too. dropped off a headshot and resume with him and chatted awhile. i can't do much of nothing till the baby comes anyway and i get new headshots, etc.

but thanks for the info. i know what i wanted to do in reference to then, but i want to be professional and respectable if (which i hope won't happen) something like this ever occurs in the future. that's what i'm unsure of the most...