agonyaunt | Ask a Manager: Can I be in a play where my character tries to assault my employee?

I was recently promoted to my first management position. Shortly after I started my new position, I was cast as the lead in a community theater production. One of the songs I’ll be doing is a duet with another character. While all clothes stay on, this duet is highly sensual and involves coercion and borderline rape. I also have another scene where I have to passionately kiss this character.

We had our first cast meeting this weekend, and to my shock, one of my direct reports is playing this other character. I feel completely out of my depth here about how to handle this. When I got promoted, I didn’t expect that I’d be in a situation where I’d have to pretend to assault one of my direct reports. Is it okay for both of us to stay in this production? Or would that be a major no-no? Am I professionally obligated to bow out of the show?

Yeah, you should bow out. I can’t see any good coming from a situation where you’re passionately (or dispassionately) kissing an employee or pretending to assault her.

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Oh noooo

I'm curious about this one. I hope people who've done theater can weigh in on such questions as:

1) will LW get himself[1] blackballed if he recuses himself from the role?
2) Should the employee leave her role instead?
3) How possible is it for the director to recast either role?

If this was the last week before the show, it would cause all kinds of problems for LW to bow out. As they are just starting? It should be fine. Somebody probably auditioned for the lead 2 weeks ago, and didn't quite get it, and the director can call and offer it to them now. There might be somebody already in the play that can swap roles, and it's LW's responsibility (as manager) to deal with the problem.

1) Recusing himself with no explanation can lead to problems. Telling the director about the job situation? Almost any director will be eager to help (with or without giggles about the shocking situation). If not, if the director has a problem with this kind of very early recusal? That's a major red flag about the director.

Can community theater afford to blackball people?

Yes. Any group, of any size, can always drive people away. The question is only who they want to drive away.

Yes but not lightly.

Maybe I'm naive, but couldn't the LW say to their DR something like, "Wow, I never expected to be in this show with you! It's... kinda strange, though. If you are at all uncomfortable with us being El Gallo and Luisa in The Fantasticksat night when I'm your manager at the Llama ranch during the day, tell me now and I'd be happy to bow out."?

(The LW would have to mean it, of course... or at least be a good actor)

That runs the risk of sounding like LW is hinting that DR should bow out, or like LW is hinting that DR should say "No, it's no problem at all!" (or like good manners will require DR to say such a thing, even if LW obviously isn't hinting it).

There is no way the DR can do anything but quit the play, confronted with that. The power dynamics are just too steep and in a country where one can be fired for anything one just can't gamble that keeping the role won't cost one one's job.

Ugh, I hate that you're right.

Edited to add: I mean I hate that the country is the way it is, not that you, minoanmiss, are right.

Edited (Wanted to clarify I appreciate your insight, and missing comma) 2022-01-04 11:56 (UTC)

Heh, I appreciate the clarification. :)

and yeah, it never seems that people who really need to be gotten rid of quickly are, just the rest of us have a sword hanging over our heads.

Ask a Manager: Can I be in a play where my character tries to assault my employee?

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Hmmm.

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Talk first?

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