'This is no longer any of your business': Director gets petty revenge on producer for making entire crew's jobs difficult

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jan 30, 2023 2:00 PM EST

This producer sounds like a living nightmare. We all know that people in show business can be crazy, and this story provides a little glimpse into what that craziness actually looks like behind closed doors. This director, who shared their story via this thread on Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit, was hired to help this writer/producer mount a production of her new play, but it turned out that they ended up doing way more work than just the job of a director.

 

The worst behavior, believe it or not, came after the production ended. The writer/producer promised to share her industry contacts with members of the cast, but then completely went back on her promise. When the director confronted her about this, she told them that their job is done and they should mind their own business. Well, that's exactly what the director did, so when the writer/producer came back a few weeks later in desperate need of all the files the director kept, she found out that the director had erased all of them… since, you know, the job was done.

 

Keep scrolling below for the full story. For more, check out this post about an entitled Karen mom and her child's daycare.

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  • 01
    Furniture - "Per your previous instructions, I am not to do any more work on this project. My job is done."
    via Felix Mooneeram
  • 02
    Font - "Your job is done. I don't want you to do anything related to the project ever again." LOC Apologies for length. TL:DR at the end. I work in technical theatre design, and I was approached by a writer/producer to direct her show after I had been recommended to her by a mutual friend (let's call her Jane). Jane had been working on this script for a couple years, and it was her baby. The script was actually pretty good, and the cast she had already hired was awesome, so I agreed to do the jo
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 03
    Font - The show had already began rehearsals before I was hired, as the previous director had suddenly quit. After one rehearsal, i immediately realized why. Jane was an absolute nightmare. She had no idea what she was doing. She had never produced theatre and knew nothing about any aspect of live event productions (blocking, lighting design, etc). However, she also wanted to control and micro manage everything. A majority of my job ended up consisting of her freaking out about something I had d
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 04
    Font - The cast hated her, and she made every rehearsal miserable. She wasn't interested in watching the scenes to see how good the actors were. She would spend every rehearsal buried in her script and getting upset each time an actor missed a word, or said them instead of they, or other minor easily fixable things. The only reason the cast stuck around is because this woman did have some industry contacts, and she was inviting them all to the show. She constantly bragged about it, and said she
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 05
    Font - About two weeks before tech week, I realized she hadn't hired a lighting designer, booth operator, stage manager, or anyone at all to run the show. She had been expecting me to do it all once the time came. I almost quit on the spot, but I ultimately stuck in because the cast was so great, and I knew the show would never happen if I left. She'd never be able to do anything on her own.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 06
    Font - I ended up calling in a couple favors, and someone we got everything done. The show actually turned out great, and the audience loved it. She had paid a guy to professionally film two performances, and she really got great stuff on tape.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 07
    Font - After the show ended, the cast asked for a list of emails/numbers of the industry that was in attendance so their agents could follow up. Jane betrayed them and refused to share any info about her contacts. She said she didn't want them bothering people she knew.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 08
    Font - I was furious, so I sent her an email saying "you need to share that list. It's what you promised. You owe it to them." She replied "This is no longer any of your business. Your job is done. I don't want you to do anything related to the project ever again." Cue malicious compliance.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 09
    Font - One week later, she sent me an email. Apparently she was trying to raise funding to do the show again, and had entered the video she had recorded into an prestigious online theatre festival. The audio didn't turn out great in the recoding. She realized that she didn't have any of the sound effects, the marked production script, the Qlab show file, the projections, the blocking notes, nothing. I had done all the work, and had all the files. She had never even asked to see them before.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 10
    Font - If she wanted to replicate the show, she'd need these things. Otherwise, she'd have to pay someone to start from scratch. If she wanted to fix the audio, she'd need all the music and sound files. She demanded that I send her these things immediately. I replied: "Per your previous instructions, I am not to do any more work on this project. My job is done."
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 11
    Font - Then I deleted everything. She was royally pissed. Her realizing she had nothing tangible to re-mount her show almost made it worth two months of painful rehearsals. TL;DR: Was hired to direct/design a show. Theatre producer makes everyone's life then refuses to honor her promises to the cast. She's tells me to get lost, then is dumbfounded when she realizes I have all the important files. I delete them and she can't reproduce her show without starting from scratch.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 12
    Facial expression - treemanswife 13 hr. ago Finally found someone who can properly use the word cue!!
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 13
    Rectangle - wheresmychin OP 13 hr. ago That's the benefit from working in theatre. :)
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 14
    Font - DoctorGuvnor +1. 13 hr. ago Speaking as a director, this is why you NEVER allow the author within a country mile of the production.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 15
    Font - Vox_Mortem 12 hr. ago It sounds like you have plenty of your own industry contacts, given your level of skill and experience. I would drop quiet warnings to people about Jane and how unprofessional she is, how she treats staff, and how she lied to the cast. Nothing super loud, don't want to be accused of gossip. Just a simple hey, heads up if this person comes sniffing around don't take the job.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 16
    Font - wheresmychin OP 12 hr. ago I do. The contacts were mostly for the cast. I could care less who she could have "exposed" me to. My career doesn't need it. My close friends have heard the tale. It's not really wise to bad mouth anyone outside your inner circle of trusted people. People love to rehash industry gossip to others once it leaves your lips.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 17
    Font - raven16342 9 hr. ago When someone tells you they know all these important people, and they're going to give all of them your number. It's a lie. I've heard that one a thousand times. Never ever fall for it. Run instead.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 18
    Font - goldfishpaws 3 hr. ago +1. That's the red flag itself - if they're genuinely important contacts they'll be fuming to have their details circulated to cast and crew. If I promise you Cameron Macintosh's mobile number then one way or another I don't belong in the industry.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 19
    Font - Cybermals 14 hr. ago . "HOW DARE YOU DO EXACTLY WHAT I TELL YOU! REEEEEEEE!!!"
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 20
    Font - NotATroll1234 13 hr. ago Maybe that'll teach her to keep her promises from now on. But as a result of her actions, she might just have a few fewer industry contacts.
    via u/wheresmychin
  • 21
    Font - bygkjjchy 12 hr. ago As a production manager who is about to go into Q2Q...this was such a satisfying read. I've only had the misfortune of working with one bad director (who was not bad at directing per say, but was bad when it came to respecting crew). Good on you for standing up to her!
    via u/wheresmychin

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Tags

toxic-workplace malicious compliance toxic-boss theater Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit toxic-work-environment
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