The Show Really Is Over

I am no longer associated with the Sam Bass Community Theater. After 24 years, I've been kicked to the curb.

Somebody on the board witnessed my refusal to admit a group of patrons who arrived late on opening night. That somebody lied. Imagine my surprise, at Sunday's Board Meeting, to hear that I yelled at a patron, sought him out at intermission to yell at him some more, and made his daughter cry.

Nope. didn't happen. Not like that, anyway.

This tells me there is some other reason for this. First, a Board member ripped me asunder by email because I dared to criticize the program she put together for me. I would happily have made the program myself, but I don't have those skills. So, failing that, I would have appreciated getting it soon enough to proof it before it went to the printer. But the designer was overwhelmed at work, and working on the program in the middle of the night. She told me that she had just ordered enough for the first weekend, and I could make corrections after that. It was rather surprising to find out on opening night that the programs had been printed, errors and all, for the entire run. Thanks to Cliff and Mary Ellen Butler at The Palace Theater in Georgetown, I did get corrected programs for the rest of the run.

I'd love to publish the email exchange I had with the program designer, but I'm sure that would violate some privacy law or other. It was a bit of a shocker, as well. Suffice it to say that she unloaded on me with both barrels, because I dared to complain about the program. I guess she is allowed to publish any piece of garbage she chooses, and woe betide the director inconsiderate enough to find fault.

The worst of it is that I ws not even given the opportunity to resign. I had mentioned to several Board Members that I was not going to run for an office next season. Any one of them could have suggested that I submit a letter of resignation, but no. They had to hash out a unanimous request for my dismissal, and spend a whole month, more or less, keeping this secret, only to dump it on me at the meeting. They were consciously going for the maximum humiliation value.

The majority of them came to the show, and chatted with me after, most being at least somewhat complimentary; and, all the while, thinking that they were going to slap me down at the meeting, scheduled for the day after the show closed.

Are we feeling the love, yet?

An era just came to an end. I was the oldest continuously active member. B J Machalicek had been around longer, but she has had long stretches during which she didn't come to play.

The old guard is gone. B J put in her time on the Board many years ago. Most of us have felt that time spent on the Board was the dues one had to pay in order to have a place to play.

That's all I ever wanted; a place to play.

Hopefully, I can find another.

Here's my ad.