Ball on the Boards: Followup

Another Canadian actor, Bill Talbot, has great praise for fellow thespian Michael Ball. In his blog he includes:

Saturday, September 04, 2004

I went into the Crew room at the theatre, it use to be the green room before the renovations, to post a notice about a draw for G-Mail invites I am holding. Michael Ball one of our senior members of the Acting Ensemble was sitting on one of the sofas by the door. It was lunch time and the room was almost empty. He and I have both been working at the Shaw for over 25 seasons, we know and like each other well. I walk in the door.

Oh Hello Michael, How are you?
”Good Thanks I hope you don’t mind… “
Mind What?
”Me being in here”
Good God, Of course not, your perfectly welcome in here it was not us (the crew) who put that new Crew Room sign on the door.
”Thanks, I have a fitting and the new green room is just to far to walk to, and back.”
Yeah It is isn’t it….

He is right if he had come in the Stage Door walked down to the green room and, back upstairs to wardrobe he would have literally walked 2 full city blocks inside the buildings. However what struck me most was that this man who is part of Canadian theatre royalty felt it necessary to apologise and make excuses to a stage hand, for being in the crew room. It is a sad sorry state of affairs when 2 people who have known and worked together for 25 years, apologise and feel uncomfortable for been in the same room together.