It’s still hard to believe that, 2 months ago, I was living in Amsterdam, performing Boom shows and working on sets for the MySpace show. It’s surreal. Tonight I sat in the crew Jacuzzi in Acapulco Bay, a light rain falling on my shoulders.
The month in Chicago was great, but not enough time to develop any kind of rhythm. My hope was that I would have plenty of time to hang out with Erica and friends and get to do some shows, all of which I did, but not quite at the frequency I was hoping for. I guess, everyone also had their own lives which didn’t fit conveniently into my little plan. Still, I was glad to be back and to see my friends.
The reason I left was twofold. Erica, having been treated poorly by Boom in general, at one time being told that “no one was better at babysitting” than her by Pep, wanted to go home since she felt she was never going to be hired. If she didn’t, we’d have to continue to send her back to the States every 3 months, as she would not be granted the same visa as I was since she was unofficially working for Boom.
That was one reason. The other was my contract. From the very beginning of my tenure at Boom, it was clear that I was not very important to the Producers. Ryan Archibald had told me that I would not be replacing him or Jim, the two departing actors, but Tim’s role in the ensemble, that of the reliable, mature performer, whom they wouldn’t have to think about or even treat well if they didn’t want to. I don’t think I was ever able to swallow that latter half of the situation. Laurel and I were treated like we had arrived to Amsterdam on the special bus, and I resented it. Laurel had a more solid beef than me, as they treated women so much worse than men. Eventually, I would even graduate to being a performer they wouldn’t have to worry about, but only due to my acquiescence to Boom’s style. Laurel stuck to her guns, got frustrated, and left. I stayed, not wanting to break my contract, and forever hopeful that the situation would improve. It didn’t.
In late April, I found out that Lauren and Dan had met with Pep to discuss a second contract, with both of them signing for another. Our contracts were up in August, so these discussions were pretty early, and I thought I might get the same treatment. Pep finally talked with me in early May, and his waiting to talk to me didn’t sit well. With our group being as small as it is, there’s no way to keep much secret, and I felt that Dan and Lauren and I were equals. Setting his priorities as he did, I felt Pep had decided otherwise.
It could be argued that I was overreacting. I knew how people had been screwed by Boom in their contracts. It wasn’t exactly new to boom’s history. Tarik was told that he was on probation for six months before Pep and Andrew would sign his second contract. Tim had been told that he had another contract, but it took months for it to arrive. I think this only made me angrier. Why would they treat their talent like that? Why did some get preference, while others just had to accept poor treatment that Pep and Andrew wouldn’t dream of placing on their favorites?
So we met with Pep in early May, Erica and I, and we started the discussion. Pep said we’d meet again on May 10th. That day came and went without Pep contacting me to meet as he had scheduled. Then another week went by. And another. I didn’t say anything to Pep about his lack of follow-through on the meeting, but was glad that he had granted Erica and I to go on vacation in June. As the weeks went by without Pep contacting me, my fellow cast members and Boom employees asking me if I was staying as well, I decided to contact Second City. With Pep forgetting our second meeting, he had made a decision, consciously or unconsciously: I was not a priority.
So I met with Beth and I was offered a ship. I accepted a ship leaving in November, but gambled when I told Beth I would prefer the one leaving in September. Erica stayed behind in the States. If I didn’t get the ship, Erica and I were looking at more separation. If I did get it, we wouldn’t. I told everyone that Erica had to stay behind in the States to attend to family concerns but would becoming back, and we waited for Beth.
Brendan was still in town to perform his and Pep’s World Cup show, and he saw one of my first shows back from vacation. Brendan was great to me, and one night at the Waterhole, he told me I should stick around, that Boom needed me, that they needed someone to call them on their bullshit. It was the first time I had felt validated for doing so, but it was too late. I was leaving. Pep contacted me immediately after that, but Beth had already emailed me. The September ship was mine. I sat down with him and he told me that they really wanted me around, and I told him that I had another job. It felt…really, really good.
Now I live on a cruise ship. Every week I walk around Mexico. I get to perform shows for Second City. I swim in the ocean, I drink margaritas on the beach, I make fun of our Cruise Director, I see other performers do their shows, I do laundry in the crew facilities, and I work out in the gym. That’s my life. And I love it.
