From A Different World - Forums

For those who don't know, I work lights for my schools theater program. We have a large auditorium, with a good amount of lights. We have just started our one act festival, which tends to be easy in the way of lighting. My friends convinced me to give acting in a show a try, they told me that the stage crew would be in good hands. I reluctantly agreed and was cast with a small part. Then 90% of the crew quit. Either because of grades, jobs, girl friends, or general apathy. There is now four people, none of which know how to work the lights. Now I have to do the lighting alone, in addition to acting. We also recently had a fire in the auditorium, coating a portion of our lights in ash, which I now have to clean. They also moved crew times, to the same as rehearsals. I wouldn't be so mad, if the actors worked as hard. Many of them don't show up, or are late on a daily basis because they have something else going on, or "forgot". So in between my scenes I have to run to auditorium and clean lights, then run back and speak my few lines and go back. In addition the student directors for these shows have decided they want a complicated show.
Some times I hate people.
TL;DR I am now the only person trained to do lights, and must do it in addition to acting. While pleasing the expectant student directors.

Honestly, if you are doing that much work, they should be paying you.

We don't have money for that.