After show performance
Picture this – in a theatre dressing room after a performance, a dear female friend comes to have a chat. We hadn’t seen each other for a while and there was a lot to catch up on.
The show I had just appeared in presented several acts, including one that featured some women who share some things in common with me, in cultural terms.
The friend who came to see me after the show was of a different cultural and racial background, but she knew me personally and we had been through many experiences together in various locations.
As we sat in the dressing room, shooting the breeze, one of the women from the group who shared the billing with me suddenly launched into tirade of expletives. It soon became clear that she was taking exception to my friend being present in the room. We didn’t engage in a direct conversation about the matter.
When strong emotions are triggered, it is usually the responsibility of the person who feels upset to come to terms with what they are feeling. There were too many issues to unpick in that moment, for either of us to feel inclined towards engaging with the aggrieved person.
