Stretching myself too thin

[sparkydave]

I'm involved in a community theater. Something I've always enjoyed. I've done all aspects; I'm their sound and lighting designer, I've been on stage, I'm on their board of trustees, I'm their vice-president, their webmaster, and recently had my first experience directing. It's all volunteer.

The trouble is, I feel like I'm headed for a burnout. They keep telling me I'll get help to run sound and lights, but that hasn't happened for a few years. I keep hearing of people who want to help, but they are "too busy" when we ask them. I try to teach others how to run the sound and lights, but we have some ultra-technophobes who insist they can't possibly learn any of it. Sometimes I'd like to try out for parts at other theaters, but I can't because inevitably they will come to me and say there's nobody to do sound and lights.

I do think the days might be numbered for our theater. We've lost a few members, it's very hard to attract new members (especially young people), and a number of people don't like working with our theater because there are a few "old fogeys" around who are too stuck on doing things their way, and there are a few people who won't lift a finger to help out, but are quick to tell others how things should be done.

I just feel like if I try to take a break from any of it, they'll be all upset at me because they depend too much on me. On the other hand, I have to remind myself that it's all volunteer, I don't get paid, and if it's turning into an organization where 10% of the people do 90% of the work, it's not necessarily my fault.

 

[Johnnz]

However valuable you are to them, you wil become useless if you crash. Be sensible for some longer term gains.

John
NZ

 

[saved24]

This is a very difficult situation. My situation was different, but I had to finally put my foot down and say no, I was involved in too much already, and sometimes people will take advantage of our good nature and our difficulty in saying no. You have served them well, and this is to be commended. Praying for you to make the right decision. God bless.

 

[sparkydave]

Thanks John and saved24, I think I'm putting my foot down on our latest production. The director we have now is notorious around our theater for expecting us to be at Broadway level when we have limited finances, limited capabilities, and limited manpower. We thankfully have two new folks who want to help run sound and lights, but they are not technical people. The director pretty much said he wants the lights just like the Broadway production. I'm already contemplating it will be extremely complex to do with our light board, likely to scare off the new folks who have never run a light board before, and I don't want that.

So, if he goes off saying he's gotta have all sorts of complex lighting effects, I'll just have to say "too bad, so sad", and if he doesn't like what I come up with, he can do it himself. Having worked with him before, I'm sure he'll say something like "Oh, it can't be that hard". Gotta love it when non-technical directors assume it can't be that hard when they have no idea how to do it themselves.

 

[Johnnz]

Well done. Wisdom is a learned process. Some of us don't always learn very quickly. You will be better prepared for the long haul of life having leanr3ed a bit more about priorities and self preservation.

Bless you
John
NZ

 

[If Not For Grace]

Sounds alot like some churches I have been a part of. Here's the deal-if the place will fail because you don't do a job-let it..No organization is an organization at all IF one member can cause it to cease to be.