“One for the money, 2 for the show, 3 to get ready, and 4 to GO…”

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “The Show Must Go On.”

Today’s prompt reminds me of the old rhyme “one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go.” Although rather obscure in origin perhaps, it rings clear in meaning.

ONE can be the Producer of the show.  He or she is the person, or more likely committee, that decides to put on a show.  Let’s say “they.”  They put up the money in various ways–through personal funds, community money in some form, investment capital, and LAWYERS who handle assorted legal matters.    Without these deep-pockets players there quite possibly would not BE a show.

TWO is the Director of the show.  This person hires and fires costumers, electricians and carpenters, painters, stage hands, all kinds of “go-fers” who go-for coffee, go-for needle and thread, go-for pizza.  Also the Director recruits and auditions writers, and actors — without whom there would hardly BE a show.  Then it is the Director who actually Directs the show, from mundane who-stands-where supervision to helping the Star to die perfectly when the murder scene happens.

THREE would be the various trouble-shooters that deal with all sorts of problems ranging from tempermental stars to malfunctioning wardrobes.   These people are charged with the responsibility of dealing with The Media, making sure there is sufficient publicity…of the right kind.   They get the show ready-to-go. They put out the brush fires when tempers flare and Murphy’s Law is at work–anything that can go wrong WILL go wrong, or at least someone will have to at least do the worrying about such issues.

FOUR certainly not the least of what makes the success or failure of the Show — those  actresses and actors who are the STARS of the show, upon whose names and personas are the magic that makes the show a hit or .. not a hit.   In this role at times a brilliant script can be tarnished by a less than stellar performance by the Stars….or on the other hand, a popular and perfect-for-the-role player can save a sub-standard plot and turn it into a huge hit show.

I would choose to be in the Three-To-Get-Ready category…which is where those involved are a variety of skills, each of them important to the end result.

Handling the Money angle would not appeal to me at all.  It is not in my area of expertise, for one thing, but also I think it would be boring and frustrating, and rather snobbish.

Being The Star might sound glamorous and exciting, but to me it would actually be anything but!  Working under the hot lights, dealing with The Co-Star, and trying to do exactly as Directed would not be fun.  Not only the Pomposity and big-feeling bossiness of  a prima-donna director would not be anything I would like to do either.  I would hate being criticized, or told how to format my performance.  Also as a Star it seems to me that a lot of the blame for short-comings in my ability would be unfair, and cause great resentment.

Actually I would like to be a Writer, but this task is not one of the choices for this prompt.  Therefore, I’d be in one of the sub-sets of the category of Director.  In that capacity I would be able to do my specific job, and make whatever difference possible to the outcome of the Show.