Gate theatre employees speak out about director Michael Colgan's behaviour

cloudatlas · 04-11-2017 06:57PM #1

Women put michael colgan's behaviour centre stage

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2017/11/02/i-knew-it-was-likely-i-would-never-work-in-the-gate-again/

http://gracedyas.tumblr.com/post/ive-been-thinking-about-michael-colgan-a-lot

The butterfly effect from the Weinstein affair has been wholly positive in that it has empowered victims of harassment to speak out.

blackcard · 04-11-2017 07:02PM

Shocking that any employee should undergo such harassment and have no recourse. You have to wonder if this is the tip of the iceberg where people with money or power feel that they can do what they want.

04-11-2017 07:32PM

It sounds like it was a horrendous place to work.

Caranica · 04-11-2017 07:39PM

We'd be naiive to think that this is limited only to the Gate within the theatre world and theatre within society. It's endemic and I'm surprised that people are so surprised to hear these stories

Deusexmachina · 04-11-2017 07:42PM

Caranica wrote: »

We'd be naiive to think that this is limited only to the Gate within the theatre world and theatre within society. It's endemic and I'm surprised that people are so surprised to hear these stories

It’s not endemic. You have zero evidence for that asssertion. Colgan sounds like a horror.these people are the exception, not the norm. Exaggerating the issue belittles it.

cloudatlas · 04-11-2017 07:47PM

Deusexmachina wrote: »

It’s not endemic. You have zero evidence for that asssertion. Colgan sounds like a horror.these people are the exception, not the norm. Exaggerating the issue belittles it.

If you read through the accounts by the women it wasn't just him who behaved inapporpriately and it seems a lot of the management at the theatre supported his behaviour also http://gracedyas.tumblr.com/post/ive-been-thinking-about-michael-colgan-a-lot

There was definitely a culture of bullying at the Gate not just Colgan sadly.

currants · 04-11-2017 07:49PM

If those allegations are true then Michael Colgan is a disgusting old man. The only thing that cheers me up about this repulsive mess is the speed with which his celeb pals will desert him. He's ruined now and for a self confessed pompous twit like him the reputational damage will be the worst aspect of this.

On a more petty level the state of him to be making personal remarks about anyone's appearance/weight.

I hope the investigation flushes out the rest of the bullies too.

Annasopra · 04-11-2017 07:51PM

Deusexmachina wrote: »

It’s not endemic. You have zero evidence for that asssertion. Colgan sounds like a horror.these people are the exception, not the norm. Exaggerating the issue belittles it.

You have zero evidence for your assertion

Caranica · 04-11-2017 07:54PM

Deusexmachina wrote: »

It’s not endemic. You have zero evidence for that asssertion. Colgan sounds like a horror.these people are the exception, not the norm. Exaggerating the issue belittles it.

I am a woman and barely a day goes by without misogyny and sexual harassment. Funnily enough I also have female friends and they all say the same. It's not the exception, it's the rule.

Outlaw Pete · 04-11-2017 07:55PM

Lets see what he has to say for himself.

In 140 characters or less of course.

pjohnson · 04-11-2017 07:56PM

Caranica wrote: »

I am a woman and barely a day goes by without misogyny and sexual harassment. Funnily enough I also have female friends and they all say the same. It's not the exception, it's the rule.

Well this thread didnt take long to reach parody point!

smurgen · 04-11-2017 08:01PM

Jesus he sounds like a right piece of work! And paid 231 k a year?!fairly pissed.at the men turning a blind eye to it all.

Stacksofwacks · 04-11-2017 08:02PM

Caranica wrote: »

I am a woman and barely a day goes by without misogyny and sexual harassment. Funnily enough I also have female friends and they all say the same. It's not the exception, it's the rule.

Nice brush, would you like tar with it?

Deusexmachina · 04-11-2017 08:03PM

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

You have zero evidence for your assertion

You’re right -I can’t prove a negative. But I didn’t make the assertion.

Deusexmachina · 04-11-2017 08:05PM

cloudatlas wrote: »

If you read through the accounts by the women it wasn't just him who behaved inapporpriately and it seems a lot of the management at the theatre supported his behaviour also http://gracedyas.tumblr.com/post/ive-been-thinking-about-michael-colgan-a-lot

There was definitely a culture of bullying at the Gate not just Colgan sadly.

Yes he sounds like a right piece of work.

RayM · 04-11-2017 08:06PM

smurgen wrote: »

Jesus he sounds like a right piece of work! And paid 231 k a year?!fairly pissed.at the men turning a blind eye to it all.

Rightly or wrongly, I think lots of people - men and women - turned a blind eye to his behaviour because his threat that they'd never work in Dublin again was taken seriously.

Outlaw Pete · 04-11-2017 08:07PM

Caranica wrote: »

I am a woman and barely a day goes by without misogyny and sexual harassment. Funnily enough I also have female friends and they all say the same. It's not the exception, it's the rule.

If that's true, then the bar for what it is that you and your friends feel constitutes 'misogyny' must be set quite bloody low.

Deusexmachina · 04-11-2017 08:07PM

Caranica wrote: »

I am a woman and barely a day goes by without misogyny and sexual harassment. Funnily enough I also have female friends and they all say the same. It's not the exception, it's the rule.

‘The rule’. ALL men sexually harass, all the time? Go way outta that.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 04-11-2017 08:09PM

Caranica wrote: »

I am a woman and barely a day goes by without misogyny and sexual harassment. Funnily enough I also have female friends and they all say the same. It's not the exception, it's the rule.

You know, drama llama remarks like that really don't help the situation.

Deusexmachina · 04-11-2017 08:13PM

Dennis Tight Woodchuck wrote: »

You know, drama llama remarks like that really don't help the situation.

I agree. I hate men who do this to women. Hate them. But to say this is endemic or that all men do this is complete crap.

currants · 04-11-2017 08:15PM

I'm totally shocked that he was actually hitting staff and nobody appears to have tackled him. It cant be down to illness like dementia either because it was going on for years. These Arts organisations need more scrutiny, he was on the Board that should have investigated complaints against him FFS. Heads should roll for this, that entire Board is tainted if they didn't do anything to stop him. I couldn't witness my boss hitting or sexually harassing a colleague and keep quiet, it seems as if that whole place was managed by idiots.

04-11-2017 08:17PM

Caranica wrote: »

I am a woman and barely a day goes by without misogyny and sexual harassment. Funnily enough I also have female friends and they all say the same. It's not the exception, it's the rule.

For balance I would like to say that as a woman I do not experience daily or otherwise occurances of misogyny and sexual harassment.

smurgen · 04-11-2017 08:17PM

RayM wrote: »

smurgen wrote: »

Jesus he sounds like a right piece of work! And paid 231 k a year?!fairly pissed.at the men turning a blind eye to it all.

Rightly or wrongly, I think lots of people - men and women - turned a blind eye to his behaviour because his threat that they'd never work in Dublin again was taken seriously.

You're right but i was thinking of one of the stories in one of the link where he smacked an employee on the arse hard in front of a room of men,then he grabbed her wrist and she tried to leave.the woman said all the men looking off in different directions.i'd like to think i would have acted differently in that situation.

04-11-2017 08:21PM

I'm taking a large pinch of salt with everything that I hear about through social or print media that on face value should be going through either a workplace relations process or criminal/civil legal proceedings

Weinstein hasn't changed that tbh.

04-11-2017 08:23PM

smurgen wrote: »

You're right but i was thinking of one of the stories in one of the link where he smacked an employee on the arse hard in front of a room of men,then he grabbed her wrist and she tried to leave.the woman said all the men looking off in different directions.i'd like to think i would have acted differently in that situation.

If your livelihood depends on not seeing something, it can be easy to not see it. They were in an awful position, and while I like to think I'd be the one to stand up, I might be cowardly too if it meant losing everything.

If more than one stood up, it'd be easier. As we see from the tsunami of allegations tumbling out of Weinsteins alleged victims, there's safety in numbers.

Fr_Dougal · 04-11-2017 08:28PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm taking a large pinch of salt with everything that I hear about through social or print media that on face value should be going through either a workplace relations process or criminal/civil legal proceedings

Weinstein hasn't changed that tbh.

A single instance, then I’d agree with you. But the likes of the Gate etc. seems to have many victims. No pinch of salt needed.

currants · 04-11-2017 08:34PM

Candie wrote: »

If your livelihood depends on not seeing something, it can be easy to not see it. They were in an awful position, and while I like to think I'd be the one to stand up, I might be cowardly too if it meant losing everything.

If more than one stood up, it'd be easier. As we see from the tsunami of allegations tumbling out of Weinsteins alleged victims, there's safety in numbers.

See I agree with your point for the more junior members of staff-the women he was allegedly harassing, hitting and humiliating ritually. But I cant understand how any member of the management team could justify (to themselves)keeping quiet, morally or legally. I hope those women sue the organisation successfully, money is the only thing that will make boards of management take action against this type of crime.

Harry Palmr · 04-11-2017 08:34PM

Places like the Gate are their own little (very little) world and the big beast in there will always have a free run if he chooses to exploit his power.

Aineoil · 04-11-2017 08:35PM

Candie wrote: »

If your livelihood depends on not seeing something, it can be easy to not see it. They were in an awful position, and while I like to think I'd be the one to stand up, I might be cowardly too if it meant losing everything.

If more than one stood up, it'd be easier. As we see from the tsunami of allegations tumbling out of Weinsteins alleged victims, there's safety in numbers.

I agree with you, you know something is wrong but it's easier not to see it.

Wish I had been braver in the past to stand up to things that I knew were wrong.

04-11-2017 08:38PM

currants wrote: »

See I agree with your point for the more junior members of staff-the women he was allegedly harassing, hitting and humiliating ritually. But I cant understand how any member of the management team could justify (to themselves)keeping quiet, morally or legally. I hope those women sue the organisation successfully, money is the only thing that will make boards of management take action against this type of crime.

Well it's very likely a man that boorish and obnoxious bullied everyone in his sphere, although I doubt the men were sexually harassed it's likely they were cowed by the guy too. They might have been convinced they'd lose their jobs and never work in that area again.

It's easy to judge them for not acting, and to be honest I don't really understand it because it was more than one or two, it was a good few. But we don't know the extent of the guys temper, threats, controlling and bullying.

If they - or anyone - weren't worried about their jobs and just thought it was something to be genuinely laughed off, then there's no excuse for them whatsoever and they should examine their consciences.

Wanderer2010 · 04-11-2017 08:38PM

This piece of crap needs to be arrested, hes actually breaking the law. So many people forget bullying is against the LAW. He needs to be arrested and if found guilty, then jailed. Makes me sick that so many cnuts out there think they can bully others.

Gate theatre employees speak out about director Michael Colgan's behaviour

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