Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters. Schneider's Bakery and Nickelodeon do. Maybe add Netflix. Regardless, I don't, so I'm just borrowing them, and sometimes, they don't make a whole lot of sense.
:}
Sikowitz knew it had been a bad choice, but when Hollywood Arts folded, he didn't have a lot of good ones. 'Still, collage, teaching adults, it sounded so much easier…'
"So, that's where the budget is." Marcy, the secretary, finished. "Questions?"
"Are we sure we want to do this?" Kyle, one of the other faculty, asked. "I mean, sure, it's easier on the teachers, and the students, but we're losing lots of money this way. If we just charged each department, each class, for the time they use the theater…."
"We'd never have another original production again." Erwin cut in. "When I agreed to take over the department, I had a vision…"
"Apparently, he has a lot of those." Someone sniped to a different member of the department.
"AND, this one was us training more then passable actors." The balding teacher finished. "People, we're not just training background players. If we were, our whole department wouldn't be necessary. Theater Arts would hardly be a discipline, let alone the majors, as in plural, we now offer. Theater, film, we train actors, creators, the people who's art will be feeding this town for the next generation. To do that, we can't get caught up in little things like a budget." His head hurt. Sikowitz had always been a teacher, and never a manager. While they were related, he hated when he was limited by a budget. He hated it even more now that he was in public education, and every penny needed to be accounted for.
"Budgeting is an important part of creative processes." Linda declared. "If we don't follow the budget, we run out of money without finishing anything. We need to follow a budget." She huffed, daring the secretary to say anything. "That being said, it's not like we need the money. As long as the basics are paid for, and right now they are, we can use the theater for whatever we like, just as long as we're not interfering in whatever productions the school has agreed to either put on, or have someone else put on. Short periods where touring companies might choose to use our theater, our auditorium, to put on their plays. However, outside of that, Mister Sikowitz…"
"Doctor." Evelyn was a stickler for those things. Sikowitz himself was barely into more then one name.
"Doctor Sikowitz has arranged donors to cover our use of the theater, as well as other rehearsal spaces." Linda continued. "Honestly, it's half the reason he's the chair of the department, cause he has the most contacts in the industry here in Los Angeles. Movies, music, he knows people everywhere, and was able to secure for us multiple grants to keep us making theater for the foreseeable future."
"Money that could just as easily be used to expand the department." Kyle said. "We're not able to provide enough classes, need more teachers, and…"
"And all of that is outside the departments control." Sikowitz found himself reminding a man who'd given his life to academia, and was no stranger to this small arts collage. "Administration controls how big we're allowed to become. Yes, I got us some grant money, and it makes for a better department. I've also managed to speak to some of my contacts about scholarships, as well as internship opportunities. Already, I've placed several promising young hopefuls at Pale Demon Productions…"
"Yes, and they have the psychological scars to remind them." Anthony said. He was a part of the overlap with the music department, and also one of Sikowitz's hires. Another refuge from Hollywood Arts. "You placed them with Jade….!"
"Who's actually better then many of the producers in this valley." Erwin reminded the man. "We found a way to calm her down, so now, the terror people feel is because of what she puts up on screen. Plus, it gave us a connection, and a grant, from Neutronium, which helps the music department."
"Again, why?" Kyle asked. "You may see them as a part of us, cause you love the musical theater students, but we're separate departments, and as such, getting them money doesn't help us."
"It helps." Anthony insisted. "We can put on the musicals, have the musical theater major, which requires musicians. Lots of catching up to do, and the chairwoman of the music department is convinced the whole grant idea was a plot against her. Still, that's where a good portion of our students, in the music department, will be earning their livings. So, why not give them a chance to get used to the particularities of that kind of world. You know, musical theater?"
"Look, I have a call to make." Sikowitz announced. "Somehow, we've both solved our problem, and are getting no where fast trying to fix things. I suggest we all agree that the budget was unceremoniously dumped in my lap, and live with the decisions I've made. Decisions that, I might add, have only helped our enrollment, which I'm told is how they judge us instead of basing it on what our graduates go on to do later on. Silly rule. Wonder who came up with it? No mater. Sooner or later, everyone is gonna train a winner, but people, we're training creative people… Yea, that sounds right. Whatever, the point is, I want our students to learn to take risks, get out of their safe zones, and create. And to do that, we need to get them on stage, often with no hope of recouping whatever costs we're incurring as we train new writers to produce the next major Broadway hit, or breakout film. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
Sikowitz pulled out his call phone, and proceeded to make a call, right there, in front of everyone. "So?"
No one in his meeting heard the other end of the call. "Okay, Masons happy with the direction the school is heading in." Tori Vega, pop princess and supporter of the arts, said. "But there's only so much blood I can get out of that turnip. As for Jade, I've tried to get her to go easier on the interns, but you know what she's like. It'd be easier if we just got her to donate to the school, and let the kids take their chances…"
:}
Is it just me, or does this feel incomplete. Oh well, just an idea of how Sikowitz would land on his feet. Thoughts are, as always, wealcome.
