Bullying within the professional ranks of theatre has been going on for decades. Yet, because of the protection theatre administrators give or fear of retribution, it's very rare that these stories are made public which allows aggressors to keep tormenting their targets.

I spoke to several performers and theatre professionals who, when they read of Jeff's passing, could fully relate to his struggles because they too have been targets of backstage bullying.

One actress told me that during rehearsals for a production, the director would constantly target her with loud, explicative-filled outbursts if a number wasn't executed 100% correct. In one instance, after finishing a number, the director shouted at her from the back of the rehearsal room, "Well, I was wondering when [actress' name] was going to fuck it up and it looks like that time is now!"

"It felt like I walked into every rehearsal with a target on my back," she recalls. "Like he was just waiting for me to mistake to ring me out in front of everyone. Instead of making me a stronger performer, it made me paranoid and destroyed my confidence during that entire run."

Another performer told me how a music director would keep implying to him that his casting was based on his relationships rather than talent.

"It would start with comments like "We all know why you're in this room" and then move onto "I would ask you to change this but I think I have to get permission from your friends first," he told me. The comments were constant and at one point the music director implied that the actor's employment was based on sexual favors.

"We were at a break and the MD was joking about one of the producer's sex life and said, "[actor's name] probably knows how he likes it." I just couldn't take it anymore. Thankfully the show didn't run for very long otherwise I would have quit."

The actor told me he now avoids any production that this music director is involved, which has proven to be quite challenging. "He's constantly employed, so he's hard to steer clear of."

Another actress told me how theatre producers initially told her that housing would be provided for a production but then was told that housing wasn't available and was constantly pressured to sign a waiver which stated she was declining her housing option, which was not the case. At one point, the producers even threatened to prevent her from walking on stage without signing the waiver.

Backstage bullying isn't limited to just authority figures within production, it's also quite common among cast members. One actress told me how she was a constant target of sexual and misogynistic comments by a fellow male cast member. So much so, it caused her to fall ill. She was then told by the Artistic Director that she was being let go out of concern they would need to cancel preview performances due to her illness, despite the fact a performance had already been canceled due to her male castmember's vocal health.

While these forms of bullying sound familiar, new and different tactics are being used by people in power. The practice known as "gaslighting" has been proven to be particularly dangerous. "Gaslighting" is a tactic in which a person or entity, in order to gain more power, makes a victim question their reality.

Signs of gaslighting include using personal details or past trauma as ammunition against you, denying truths even if proof is presented, and using confusion as a weapon. To make matters worse, gaslighting happens over a period of time. It's not just a short outburst or offensive comment.

One theatre professional told me how a producer's "gaslighting", resulting from a dispute about a business partnership, has caused her tremendous stress for the past couple of years.

While the partnership had the potential to be quite lucrative, the producer's lack of involvement and short temper created a hostile work environment. She told me how she tried to leave the business several times but was taken advantage of by the producer in order to stay.

He knew how badly I needed this kind of opportunity, and that I could easily be manipulated and lied to," she remembers. "He used my history of having emotional problems against me and when I asked him to collaborate and communicate because our business was too chaotic for me to field all the issues alone, he kept me exhausted, confused, and traumatized so I couldn't see which end was up.”

This producer's bullying tactics have even extended online as he has joined Facebook groups she's a member of to terrorize her. After consulting with a lawyer, she was discouraged by the advice she was given.

The lawyer said, “ He’s a bully. You just have to let him bully you until he’s done bullying you. I know that's not what you want to hear." This was the sage advice from one powerful man in our business about another powerful man in our business.

He continues to bully me. He’ll bully me right after this article comes out."

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