Jeff Loeffelholz suicide news coverage- Page 4

[A Director]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 4:10am

Part 4 of the blog - https://justiceforjeffrey.wordpress.com/2018/07/07/aint-no-sunshine-when-hes-gone-part-4-blood-on-their-hands/#comments

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 7:29am

Wow, that blog isn’t afraid to name names.

[MosaicOwl]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 8:32am

Thank you all for wishing for my continuance here. I certainly don't mean to stir up trouble. I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere (Oklahoma) with no knowledge of Broadway politics or ongoings or culture. I've visited NYC and Broadway a few times (Jeff hosting), but don't know much about what goes on behind the scenes. The family here, from what I've gathered from our conversations on the situation, are still very confused and shocked. I have not discussed things with my grandmother yet (Jeff's aunt) because long before I was born, when my mother, Jeff, and their other cousins (there are many) were very young, my grandmother had someone else close to her commit suicide. It is a very sensitive subject for her. She is not tech-saavy, and so I know that she is not googling the crap out of this like I am. I don't know what she knows, but I want to be well educated on every angle when I finally approach her. We are very close and it's bothering me like crazy that I haven't filled her in. I believe the news outlets here in Oklahoma are very close to releasing stories, and so I need to just do it.

Anyway, sorry for that sappy rant. Thank you all for everything.

Back to the main topic, I found a few new articles about Jeff's suicide this morning. Will post when I get a minute to copy the URLs. There isn't any new information as far as I could tell, but they are original works and in new language. Maybe it doesn't help to post because of the lack of new info, but I believe everything helps because if one person really is moved by an article, they may share it with others.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 9:22am

If there were other cast members in that room during the rehearsal, I'm hoping they step forward to help with the investigation.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 10:15am

A Director said: "Part 4 of the blog -https://justiceforjeffrey.wordpress.com/2018/07/07/aint-no-sunshine-when-hes-gone-part-4-blood-on-their-hands/#comments"

This is over dramatic to me... 

"Asking him to sing the song six times then telling him “ never gets it right”? Inhumane is putting mildly."

This was one bad rehearsal, not something that happened over and over and over again every day of the week. I'm sure most on this board have more frequent negative interactions with their bosses then 1x in 22 years. 

 

Updated On: 7/8/18 at 10:15 AM

[MosaicOwl]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 10:29am

Broadway Joe said: "A Director said: "Part 4 of the blog -https://justiceforjeffrey.wordpress.com/2018/07/07/aint-no-sunshine-when-hes-gone-part-4-blood-on-their-hands/#comments"

This is over dramatic to me...

"Asking him to sing the song six times then telling him “ never gets it right”? Inhumane is putting mildly."

This was one bad rehearsal, not something that happened over and over and over again every day of the week. I'm sure most on this board have more frequent negative interactions with their bosses then 1x in 22 years.

There is no way to know at this moment whether it was just one time. It's just all there is proof of currently. It would be bad journalism to specifically claim other instances without some sort of documentation or witness account(s). I'm hoping that if there was repeated harassment, other company members will come forward with testimony, whether the harassment was directed toward Jeff or anybody else.

 

[Cat Guy]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 10:33am

MosaicOwl said: "There is no way to know at this moment whether it was just one time. It's just all there is proof of currently "

 

What is the proof?

 

[MosaicOwl]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 10:40am

Cat Guy said: "MosaicOwl said: "There is no way to know at this moment whether it was just one time. It's just all there is proof of currently"



What is the proof?"

I'm sorry, I think maybe "proof" was the wrong word. My sincere apologies. Jeff had handwritten notes about the details of his last rehearsal that were found. The blog cites corroboration of the events described in the notes.

[(Insert Clever Name)]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 11:13am

I know a thing of two about what is going on in the mind of someone who attempts suicide. They have stated that Jeff did not have any mental health issues but I don’t think that is the case. 90% of people who commit suicide have a mental health disorder. And if the fact is that one rehearsal triggered Jeff to end his own life, than there is no doubt in my mind that there is something else to it. On the outside it is very easy for us to look at Jeff and see what he did as vain or selfish or foolish, but likely to Jeff it would have seemed like the only way out. Say he had an anxiety disorder, he was not put on for months, likely causing him to wonder if he was good enough. Probably creating a negative thought spiral, and possibly sending him to a dark place. The rehearsal he had could have confirmed all of his fears and made him think ending it all was the only way out. To save from the humiliation of being fired or forced to quit after 22 years. At least by ending his own life he would not have to endure the embarrassment or shame. I am by no means saying this is the right though process, it’s quite the opposite. Sometimes it’s a lot harder to reach out for help than to try to end it all, though that’s hard too, and it’s a shame Jeff succeeded on his first try instead of getting the help he needed, as most do not, unless they are utilizing a firearm. Most people who attempt do not try again after receiving treatment. Sometimes it feels like the only way out at a time and after you look back and see how foolish you were. But the emotions at the time are so overwhelming that you can’t see a future anymore, that it clouds your judgement. Also I am not saying that any actions are foolish, but they seem like that at least to me in retrospect. But the thing is, when you feel that way you don’t know how you were not feeling that way before, and you convince yourself that the suicidal thoughts are some kind of truth that no one else can see. Than when you don’t have them you wonder how you ever felt that way before. I know this post is a blob of words grouped together, but this is something that hits close to home and I want people to understand this mindset.

[Elegance101]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 11:18am

If he hasn’t gone on in four months, makes me think this wasn’t his first interaction with creatives that went like this.

[Ben_Platt_Out]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 11:26am

Bullying in the workplace is a major problem. I have seen it in the corporate world. Bullying good employees out so management can bring in buddies and mistresses to fill the position. 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 12:28pm

On the amature level I'm familiar with the draconian musical directors who are dismissive and unwilling to help those of us who tend to have a bit more difficulty with the music. I'm not sure why I'm surprised to find out these same types exist on Broadway but I am.

[MosaicOwl]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 12:51pm

New blog post at https://Justiceforjeffrey.wordpress.com

Updated On: 7/8/18 at 12:51 PM

[DooWahDiddy]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 1:19pm

As another Oklahoma boy who moved to New York to pursue Broadway, this story hits very close to home.  I was actually just back there a few days ago, for a family reunion. 

My condolences to you and your family, and I hope that if there is justice to be served, it will be.

[mariel9]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 1:34pm

The thing about "they couldn't have known he was suicidal/depressed/vulnerable" is that, no, you don't always know what someone is dealing with. Treating people with decency costs nothing. If you can't do your job without bullying or abuse, you are not good at your job. Someone who bullies or abuses a vulnerable person (even unknowingly) is partly responsible for the outcome, morally if not legally.

[DaveyG]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 2:02pm

Well said, Mariel.

[SeanD2]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 3:45pm

mariel9 said: "The thing about "they couldn't have known he was suicidal/depressed/vulnerable" is that, no, you don't always know what someone is dealing with. Treating people with decency costs nothing. If you can't do your job without bullying or abuse, you are not good at your job. Someone who bullies or abuses a vulnerable person (even unknowingly) is partly responsible for the outcome, morally if not legally."

This is why unions need to lose their power. Actors are employees and should be able to be fired at will by their employers. Had Bobbie been able to fire this standby the “bullying” instance would never have taken place.

[EthelMae]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 3:59pm

Maybe this doesn’t have to do with this tragedy but I’ve seen Chicago a lot and every time I walked into the theatre and saw that Ms. Stifelman was conducting, I knew what I was in for. She’s been there a long time too, not sure how long, and her conducting was, to me, slow and rudimentary. When I walked in and there was a replacement for her, the show had bounce and excitement. So, all employees who have been around a long time, need, perhaps, a little nudge or direction. It ain’t just the performers.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 4:00pm

Why are some people having such a hard time grasping the possibility that this one incident led a mentally stable person to commit suicide?

From what we know, and what we can intuit based on basic psychology, this is what we can ascertain: He had been with the show for 22 years. A Broadway show that even many non-theater people have heard of. Doing the math, he was 35 when he got the job - until then he had done nothing more than some cabaret stuff. Chicago was not only almost his entire professional life, it was an enormous part of his identity and sense of purpose in the world. His entire universe probably revolves around the show, and when his boss made it clear that not only was he not wanted anymore, but also made him think he was “bad” and that perhaps his entire sense of self and accomplishment over the past two decades had been based on nothing...I mean Jesus. Most people would be severely depressed in the very least.

Are Bobbie and the MD “responsible” for his suicide? I don’t know. But I can totally understand why he killed himself. Suicide is never the answer, but in his mind, his life was already over.

[SeanD2]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 4:09pm

If you can’t handle criticism at your job you shouldn’t have your job. If he placed so much of his sense of self in his work then that’s on him and not his employers.

Besides, from the available information he was given multiple opportunities to grow in his work (both with Chicago and The Visit) and he chose to focus on the monetary value of a contract that bet career progression.

[MosaicOwl]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 4:32pm

SeanD2 said: "If you can’t handle criticism at your job you shouldn’t have your job. If he placed so much of his sense of self in his work then that’s on him and not his employers.

Besides, from the available information he was given multiple opportunities to grow in his work (both with Chicago and The Visit) and he chose to focus on the monetary value of a contract that bet career progression."

In a city with the second highest cost of living in the U.S., where the average one-bedroom apartment is about $2300 a month, I think choosing the monetary value of a run-of-play contract over the possibility of career advancement for a lower salary and a six-month term contract with no guarantee of renewal is perfectly rational. Also, Jeff had to work a second job most of the time.

 

Updated On: 7/8/18 at 04:32 PM

[A Director]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 4:37pm

SeanD2 said: "If you can’t handle criticism at your job you shouldn’t have your job. If he placed so much of his sense of self in his work then that’s on him and not his employers.

Besides, from the available information he was given multiple opportunities to grow in his work (both with Chicago and The Visit) and he chose to focus on the monetary value of a contract that bet career progression.
"

Let me take a wild guess, SeanD2; you must be a Republican.

 

[Anakela]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 4:52pm

SeanD2 said: "This is why unions need to lose their power. Actors are employees and should be able to be fired at will by their employers. Had Bobbie been able to fire this standby the “bullying” instance would never have taken place."

The show could have absolutely fired him, though - by buying out his contract, as per the terms of the contract the show chose to sign when they hired him, right? I haven't seen anyone say that he could not be fired. Just that he could not be fired without paying $$$. 

[MosaicOwl]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 5:02pm

Anakela said: "SeanD2 said: "This is why unions need to lose their power. Actors are employees and should be able to be fired at will by their employers. Had Bobbie been able to fire this standby the “bullying” instance would never have taken place."

The show could have absolutely fired him, though - by buying out his contract, as per the terms of the contract the showchose to sign when they hired him, right?I haven't seen anyone say that he could not be fired. Just that he could not be fired without paying $$$."

That is absolutely correct. The entire pivotal matter behind this is the thought that the producers weren't willing to shell out the $$$. They wanted him to quit because it wouldn't cost them anything.

 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 7/8/18 at 5:05pm

Ironic thing is: now Chicago probably will lose WAY more than whatever amount was needed to buy out his contract. This story is all over the presses now.