oh the INCOMPETENCE...

...instead of "oh the HUMANITY". As my three readers will no doubt remember, I am big into theatre and performing and designing for theatre. Specifically community and semi-pro theatre and opera. I've actually been paid to be a singer, an actor, a dancer, a costume, lighting and prop designer. I've even done volunteer prop running and stagehand work, simply for the joy of telling stories with imaginary people. Or even playing those imagingary people. I'm all about pretend and escapism. In the course of my insatiable quest for both the former, I've learned a great deal about how theatres run, and how much fun it's supposed to be. Let's face it, it doesn't pay, and one does it out of passion for the art itself.

Now, one of those theatres is having their annual benefit lukewarm buffet this weekend, with silent auction items, and members of the governing board that like nothing better than to congratulate themselves. They don't give out volunteer awards, or awards for performing or design, they give THEMSELVES awards. I think one of the awards whould be "Best Attempt at Strangling the Chavinistic Artistic Director."

Anyhow, I was on this board for a little less than a year, and consequently got more grey hairs (which are thankfully all hidden by the bleach). Apparently, according to a phone call I got from the remaining board member I still talk to (sometimes) I am to receive an award. I had heard about it second hand, and mentioned this (considering I'm actually packing this saturday evening, rather than paying $35 to schmooze and get an unframed laser printed piece of paper, and to get sick from substandard buffet food) to the person in question. And supposedly he told the president, with whom I don't get along, to put a special notice in my invitation, that I'd be getting this "honor". Did this happen? No.

Apparently I was so invaluable to the board that they couldn't even get their acts together to try and throw a person a bone. Did they call me and let me know in time to PLAN to be there? Did I get a letter or even a chintzy little note in the HORRIBLE invite? No. I didn't officially find out about this award until 1 day before.

Nice.

And the invitation? Handed off to a very nice guy, who put some stars on, and they printed it on YELLOW paper at Kinko's.

I am mystified. Why is it that people can't be more professional? I realize that I work in a rareified world of the best of the best of the best. But damn.

Thanks be to every god in the cosmos that I didn't stay there.