Are you a Diva?

Like I said in my post about dealing with divas every school or theater group has at least one. They annoy us to death and honestly can create so much drama the soap operas look like kiddie shows. Sometimes you have to check yourself. After a few successes it's easy to get a big head.
Sometimes you need a little ego boost. There's nothing like having a little extra confidence to get you up on that stage to nail that audition or sing that solo. But where do you draw the line?
I realized that I was almost crossing the line between confidence and divaness once. I was sitting in the back of my choir class freshman year listening to a girl try out for a solo. I turned to my friend and whispered "Of course he'll pick her. She's his favorite. That's the only reason she's getting all these solos." My friend nodded in agreement but then I stopped myself from saying anymore. I couldn't believe that I had just said that! I was becoming what I hated in other people. I had approached the line and had started to cross it. It was a good thing that I caught myself before I went further. Criticizing others is one of the sure signs that you are becoming egotistical.
It's one thing to look at things with an objective eye. If you are interested in directing than you might want to try and look at things this way. Not to be mean but just to get a feel for how you want to see things when you are casting and directing a play or musical.
There is a difference between confidence and being egotistical. When you are confident in your abilities you go for what you want and do not let others talents intimidate you. When you are a diva you are just full of it. You think that you are the best and you don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You know what you want and expect to get any part or any solo that you go for. Sometimes you don't even try your hardest for a part because you know that you'll get it. You blatantly tell people or show through your actions that you are the best, or that you think you are the best.
You may be the best in the class but that doesn't give you the right to act like the world revolves around you. Nobody wants to be around someone who is full of it. I can say for a fact that if you start to act like a diva someone is going to see it. It may not be the director for a while but somebody will notice. And that will hurt you. Maybe not this instant but somewhere along the line you will take the fall for your narcissism.
The truth is the people who are full of it will never truly be happy. After one defeat they can be crushed or worse expose themselves for who they are and make matters worse.
The important thing for actors and actresses is that you remain humble. Being confident is a good thing. In the business of acting you don't want to take fall backs personally and if you have confidence it will make this easier.

The Diva

We all know at least one. Every school and theater group has their divas. Although the term was originally used for opera singers the term has come to be used in every field for a female who thinks she is better than everyone else. She is the prettiest, most talented, best, whatever it is she is the best. I have met many divas in my day and they are not easy to deal with. They will be where ever you go and we will have to deal with them.
Unfortunately many of these divas actually are talented. Sometimes they will be the girls who always get the lead. Eventually these divas will have their down fall. You may not see it but they will. They will have a rude awakening when they do not get the part or some one exposes them for who they really are: a narcissist. This does not mean that you should be the one to expose her. Remember she is the diva not you, at least I hope not.
You can deal with them. I do not mean be rude or try to upstage her. That will make you look bad rather than her. Simply be nice but do not go out of your way to fawn over her. You can say "that was really good." You don't even have to include the really. Just be nice. Sometimes she will have a mesmerizing performance and you are free to tell her she was good. There's nothing wrong giving to credit where it's deserved. Just do what you know is right and what you have to. Just because she thinks she is amazing it doesn't mean that you are not talented as well. Do not let her discourage you.
Don't go around talking about how terrible she is and what a egotistical person she can be. The last thing you want is a reputation of being mean and full of yourself. Which is often sometimes how you will come off for trashing someone else. And even worse, one of her groupies (which divas often have) will tell her what you said and oh boy.
Once at my high school, before I was there, for one of the shows a girls mike was not turned off backstage and she started talking to someone about how awful another girl in the cast was. Do I even need to go into the amount of drama that followed that little incident?
Dealing with divas in the theater is just a part of the business. You will have to do it just trya nd do it the right way.