The document provides advice to a new Vice President of a college theatre council. It outlines four main rules for the role: 1) Maintain a sense of humor as dealing with student and faculty conflicts can be challenging. 2) Assert yourself with your peers as you will be directing productions. 3) Assert yourself with faculty respectfully. 4) Plan ahead extensively as the role requires managing a busy schedule and production details. Additional tips include communicating regularly with production staff and faculty, submitting paperwork early to student organizations, and maintaining a well-stocked survival kit. The overall message is that the VP role is rewarding but difficult, requiring balance and a good relationship with all involved.

1. EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING A KTC VICE PRESIDENT, BUT WERE TOO SCARED
TO ASK
By Julie Hall
Heythere you!So, YOU’RE the newVice Presidentof the KeanTheatre Council?Ican tell.Lookat you
withthat glintinyoureye,the hopeful bounce inyourstep.You’ve gotall thisVP/ArtisticDirector
hooplaundercontrol,right?
WRONG!
There’sa lotto beingthe Veepthatyoumaynot realize yet.Lordknowsyourpredecessorsdidn’tandit
leadto manytears,late nightphone callsto oldfriendswonderingwhere life wentwrong,andof course
gettingtoknowa misterJackDanielsalittle better.
Woah, woah!Where are you going?Getback overhere,kid!The firstrule of Vice Presidentis:
Always maintain a sense of humor.
Thisjob isgoingto be rewarding,butit’salsoa toughpositiontobe in.You’re goingto get to see all
sorts of newsidestoyour classmates –sometimesingoodwaysandsometimesinwaysthatif murder
wasn’tillegal….You’ll alsobe the middlepersonbetweenthe studentsand the staff (inthe department
and outside it).Prepare yourself for the everawe-inspiringwaysthatthe tworarelyalignintotal
agreementoverpressingissues.Everyoneisgoingtobe lookingtoyouto keepthe artisticandpractical
sidesof the productiongoing– thisisa full time jobwithoutthe greatinsurance plan…oranypay…no
parkingspotseither. The onlywayyou’ll make itthroughistobe able tolaughand take the impending
blunders,castcoups,andfinancial headacheswiththe mentalitythat the showwill go on andsoon it’ll
all justbe storiestotell atthe bar.
The secondrule of Vice Presidentis: Assertyourself toyour peers.
As statedabove,you’re goingtobe gettingtoknow yourclassmatesina whole new way.Outside of
SecondStage activities,you’re chums,oldpals,goofytheatre students.InsideANYSecondStage activity
you’re coworkers,you’re the ArtisticDirectorandeveryone else needstobe directed,guided,and
assistedinorderto make thisshowhappen.Thiscouldprove tobe an awkwardtransition,butmake
sure that transitionisnoted.Youdon’thave to be overlording,justfirminthe face of conflict.Be
confidentinyourwords,youngVP.Keepthingsmovingforward and on schedule. You’re an incharge
superflykung-fumofoandyoumustact accordingly.
The third rule of Vice Presidentis: Assertyourselfto the faculty.
Move intothe thirdrule withcaution!!There isa bigdifferencebetweenrespectfullyassertingyour
needstothe facultyand actinga fool.Ifind edible treatsof the sweetvarietyare especiallyeffectivein
the bendingof ironwills.
Also,advice onhowto deal withStudentOrg:

2.  The sooneryou submitsomethingthe better.Goingintothe officethe dayyouneed
200 inpettycash withonlyendin tearsand miseryforall.
 If you do have to springbusinessonthemdoitinthe mosthumble waypossible.
Gettingan attitude will onlyendintearsandmiseryforall.
 Stay onthem!!!Please GodJesusdon’tjusttell themwhatyouneeddone andexpect it
to happen.Itwill onlyendintearsandmiseryforall.
***KEEP PRODUCTION STAFF AND FACULTY INFROMED OF ALL HAPPENINGS†
WITHIN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS!!!!***
†Happenings include both events and changes within the production process, as well as any 1960s inspired performance-
based art. While you should keep the staff informed of the former, it’d be totally punk rock to spring the latter on
unsuspecting audiences at any time.
The fourthrule of Vice Presidentis: Planahead.
Thisstarts fromday one.Sitdownwiththe submissionsandgooverthemcarefully.Askyourself:
 Is the scriptone that can feasiblybe done inthe allottedtime?
 Is the budgetreasonable?
 Do we have enoughstudentstofill the casting/productionneeds?
 Are the people involvedwiththe perspectiveproductionreliable?
Afterthe showischosen,sitdownwiththe schedule andplanyourlife aroundit.Whencan youdo
homework?Findholesinyourschedule fordealingwith StudentOrg(whole daysif possible!).Letyour
workknowwhenyou’ll needdaysoff ASAP.Closertoshow time houndprofessorstomake sure they’re
aroundfor techand shows.Budgetcoffee and donutsfordearKaren.Planon attendingall production
meetingsandafewrehearsalstomake sure thingsare runningsmoothly.Planevenmore tofindtime
for justsitting.Intime the beautyof silence andnothingnesswillbecome apparentanda necessity.
Most VPsreporteddoinga dailyroutine of hotyoga,an all liquiddietof kale smoothies,andvisitinga
witchdoctor inthe VE basementonce a week.Mostof these VPswere able toavoidanylongterm
asylumstays – positive resultsif Isayso myself!
A VP’sSurvival Kit:
 A heavilyusedcalendar.
 The phone numbersof everyone involve withthe production(includingfacultyandStudent
Org).
 Snacksfor longdays.
 Comfortable slippersforlongerdaysinmeetingsandrehearsalsortech.
 A constantlyup-datedTo-DoListthatexistssomewhere otherthaninyour head.
 Humor and goodrelationswitheveryoneinvolved.

3. We’re all goingto have our ownstylesforgoingaboutall of thisVPstuff,butthese are the essentialsto
keepinmind.Toget philosophical:hopefullythe reasonyou’re doingthisistoworkwithyour peersto
create somethingreallybeautiful thatissolelyour(the students) doing.SecondStage iswhere we can
showoff our talentsandwhatwe’ve learned.It’salsoaplace tonot justwork, but to come closerwith
our classmatesandto have a goodtime.Don’tforgetthat.
Outside of SecondStage
Workingwithcouncil memberscanbe tricky,butas said before:assertyourself andkeepupgood
humors.Keepinmindcompromise isn’tabad thingandthat you’re all inthiscouncil together.
If you decide toplaneventskeepyourideasrealisticanddelegate tovolunteers.Can’tdoitall,my
friend!Finally,all of the meetingswithStudentOrgaren’tsobad and theyusuallyserve food.The first
rule of anotherpaperthat shouldbe writtenisthat,“Artists neverturn downfree food.”
Go forth!