Red Flags!

On my last blog I posted about how I accepted an offer for Forever Plaid, which is true but today, I decided to turn down the offer. This weekend has been so crazy in the sense of going back and forth with my decision. I got the offer on Friday and then got the contract on Saturday. Right when I got the offer on Friday I looked up the website Non Equity Deputy - it's a website that has all of the regional theaters and there are reviews from performers who have worked there. About 97% of the reviews for this company were all negative, some of them included how their paychecks would bounce! Red Flag. As I looked over the contract on Saturday, I found some red flags, like... some of the dates were incorrect, some of the spelling was wrong, there is a no cell phone rule in dressing rooms and in rehearsal/theatre space. If you get caught with your cell phone - you will get fined for $15. These are Red Flags!! So... I copied all of the issues I had in the contract and pasted them in an email and asked questions about them. He, being the artistic director and president of the company, immediately emailed me back questioning why I had questions about the contract. His tone was very short and rude. Red Flag. I decided to call some theater friends in hopes they had heard about this theater. Luckily two of my buddies had worked there this past Christmas. They had mixed feelings. One of them said the management was terrible and rude - he thought about quitting in the middle of rehearsals several times. Red Flag. However, he explained that my experience probably wouldn't be as bad as his because I would have a guest director come in as opposed to mean rude guy being over us. I had previously looked up the director of the Forever Plaid show and found some really great things about him. He's worked for many companies and has a great rep in the industry. Now I was torn. Do I say yes to something for the fact that I would be performing again and with a great director? Do I say yes to something even though I know the management is horrible and my paychecks may bounce? Do I say yes to something that is going to take me away from my wife and life here in the city and take me away from the busiest time of year auditioning? There were way more negatives than positives at this point. On Saturday night I explain to the company that I would like a couple of days to decide and asked if I could have until Tuesday evening. I get an email back on Sunday morning saying this;
Nathan,
We cannot wait. We will need your answer by NOON today.
Notice how that is all it said... there was no - we really want you to be apart of this production or we understand this is a big decision but we can't give you until Tuesday, we need an answer as soon as possible. I mean this guy isn't trying hard at all to make me want to work for him!  
Red Flag.
So since I'm still not 100% of deciding. I choose to not respond to his email and decide to take time to think about all of my options.

The thing about our career is - it takes time for great things to happen. Seeds need to be planted, and that is what Whitney and I have been doing. We've been living in the city for one full year now. We both have been given offers that we've turned down because we need to be smart! Just because someone offers you a contract to perform doesn't necessarily mean it will further your career. We are both non equity... we are striving to become equity. Now, if we get offered a non equity show, it needs to be worth our time and effort. Also it needs to be something we want on our resume. Sometimes it's better to turn down a contract (even a performing one) to further your career. Right now is the audition season. It would be foolish of me to break away from that unless it's a contract giving me my equity card or giving me lots of money or doing amazing things for my resume. None of these things were true for me for this specific contract. I need to be networking and auditioning!
After long thinking and calling many people for advice I was beginning to feel like I had to turn this offer down. It was strange I felt like my gut and my heart were telling me to walk away but my brain was like... but it's a paying gig of doing a great show with a great director...

Our friends Anton and Courtney came over last night and cooked us dinner... amazing! After that we watched the first video of the Truth Project. This is a new video series we are starting with our small group on Monday evenings. Last week we couldn't go so we got caught up last night. It was so amazing. What is truth? Is it our perception of feeling good? Is it when we lack the feeling of guilt? What is truth? The video explored that truth is the Lord's perception of reality! WOW! Well... what is the perception of the Lord's reality? Just because we may think something is true doesn't mean that is what the Lord sees. Just because we may not like someone for being arrogant or unwelcoming doesn't mean that is what the truth is. Our perception of reality is so different than the true reality. It also says that Jesus came to Earth to testify the truth. When answering that question... Why did Jesus come to earth? I immediately think... to save us! Yes... but it is so much more profound than that. He came to testify the truth! Okay!!

After taking time to let the offer of Forever Plaid soak in, I knew the Lord was revealing the answer to me. The Reg Flags have been confirmed. I am to turn down the offer. When I woke up today, Monday, I emailed the company and thanked them for the opportunity but decided to turn them down. He immediately responds with:

We already replaced you.
Thank you.

All I could do was laugh. First of all... it is very unprofessional to give someone else the role when I hadn't given them a final answer. And yes... they did say they needed an answer by noon on Sunday but don't you think it would have been appropriate for them to have called me sometime yesterday saying we really need an answer or we will be offering it to someone else? What if I didn't check my email? It's a Sunday after all. I shouldn't have to give any answer on a weekend. Let us please wait on a business day. I'm so glad I am not working for them! When I told my mom, she said.. I bet he is lying... I bet they didn't actually replace you yet, he just wanted to be rude and make it seem like, too bad for you. All I can do is just shake my head and laugh.

I feel very good about my decision. And I also am getting very excited about the Superbowl. I am not much of a sports fan. I never have been. I like playing sports and watching live games, but just never got into the whole lets watch it live on tv and be stressed out and blah blah blah. However, yesterday was fun because ever since I was young my football team have been the Packers. Mainly because a lot  of my friends were obsessed with them. So I decided to claim they were my team as well. After all the drama with Brett Favre - I'm so glad Packers are on the right track now, Aaron Rodgers is such a smart quarterback. The game between them and the Bears was so exciting and now that they will be in the Superbowl it makes me so thrilled.