Somewhat dreary day yesterday, although the rain finally stopped. Slept until 6:45, but still skipped the walk with Susan as I didn't feel like getting dressed yet. Tried to take a nap after breakfast, but couldn't. Had a director's meeting at 12:30, followed by a full Drama Club meeting at 1:30 which was poorly attended. Some members are away, some had other commitments, some just didn't come. The show isn't until May, and we still have a scarcity of material.
The club is run on a democratic model which I think is a mistake. We (the three other directors and I) bring in the skits we've either plagerized or written ourselves and have the actors read; they're then asked whether they think the stuff is any good, should remain in the show, isn't worth it, etc. This sounds like a good way to run things, but it isn't. What happens is, the directors do all the work finding, writing, and adapting the pieces, plus shape and define the show, write the transition material, and direct the players--and the other members just criticize. They don't offer anything of their own, of course, they're just very outspoken about what they don't like. They also tend to be laughably--and infuriately--like real actors, in that so many of them complain about not getting enough lines, resist direction, and try to interject their own ideas while avoiding any accountability for the end product. I'm actually thinking about ending my directorship and even my involvement with the club. Marge and I discussed this after the meeting and she's getting to a low ebb herself, although she actually founded the group. I think she'll hang in because of that and because she feels more of a sense of obligation. Well, we'll see how it goes--the directors meet December 13--but I'm not making any promises about continuing.