"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime." -- Babe Ruth
I had the pleasure and privilege of being a part of the Clown Camp® staff for twenty years. One of the things that made that educational program unique is the cooperation between staff members. It was not unusual to see somebody starring in a Staff On Stage show in the evening and then see them running the sound while somebody else starred in the next morning's Staff On Stage performance. If somebody needed something like a change bag for a class they were teaching, and forgot to bring it, another staff member would run and get it for them.
I had the honor of being part of a group of Clown Camp® staff members who taught and performed in Singapore in 2004. We did ten performances raising funds for charities. The shows were in a beautiful theater downtown with limited parking. When we arrived, everyone helped each other move equipment inside so our vehicle could quickly depart. If anybody went over their allotted time in a show, they apologized to the others because they knew somebody else had to shorten their act to keep the show on time. This was important because for some performances buses were scheduled to pull up to the curb to pick up audience members at the end of the show. The buses could not stay there blocking traffic if people weren't ready to board because the show ran over. The theater's technical crew and management said they had never had a group of entertainers performing there that worked together as well as our group. We were all dedicated to the success of the show and educational program. That was more important to us than any individual achievement during the trip.
It does make a difference. I was recently part of another educational program variety show. One of the instructors was not properly prepared for their act and did not show up for the rehearsal. Trying to overcome the glitches they caused resulted in a delay in the performance. I was scheduled to perform a nine-minute routine as the closing act. Because the show was running too long, the director signaled me to cut my routine to five minutes, which I did. I felt my act would have been better if I had not had to cut it so drastically. However, the needs of the production overall were more important than what people thought of my individual performance.
Sometimes a very talented entertainer/instructor was added to the Clown Camp® Staff who did not work well with other staff members. Those I thought were mainly there to satisfy their own ego often were not invited back.
I have seen variety arts organizations ebb and flow. An amateur clown club in Southern California would vary between having five members some years and having forty members other years. The determining factor tended to be the ego of the leaders. When somebody was elected President who was impressed by their importance, people would leave the club. When the elected officers and the members worked well together supporting each other, the club grew. Often former members who had dropped out would rejoin. Then when the next ego driven President was elected, the membership declined again. Eventually there was a clash of egos so great, the club split in half and two new clubs were formed.
That doesn't mean you can ignore developing your individual skill level. However, your motivation is what makes you a better team member others can rely on. You aren't concerned about being the best in the show. You are concerned that the show is better with you in it.
How can you become a better team player? How can you contribute to the success of variety arts organizations of which you are a member? How can you contribute to the success of shows you perform in? If you are a solo performer, how can you contribute to the success of an event where you are appearing? How can you be supportive of others so the entire group is more successful? What can you do to increase your dependability?
