I BELIEVE THAT IS ENOUGH. Taking care of your body is as important during tech week as it always is - possibly more so. Also, follow-through is not my strong suit.]. Itll really make a difference. If youre serious about working in live theater, you need to be ok with missing out on other events/gatherings/holidays. Step back and watch with pride as they demonstrate how capable they truly are. Dont forget to email subscribe so that you never miss an article! The fact that no one is standing up to her on your behalf is ridiculous. Trust them and allow them to succeed in their leadership positions. Who should students check with if they need help reviewing their entrances and exits? You may feel a little guilty at the prospect, or even feel like you havent the time, but the long-term positive effects of just chilling out whenever you can are immeasurable. This is not on you. So, eat more fruit, veggies, proteins, good carbs and good fats without the added sugar, and youll feel great. Im going to be sick instead. I did commit the unholy sin of, you know, audaciously answering her questions as to what other items we were still waiting on, and although the two other costumes Im supposed to wear have yet to surface, for example, I never made a fuss or anything. xoxoxoxoxo). Oh, Costume Nazis prickly, thats just how she is someone whispered to me, when I asked about her after the first incident. It also helps you get a handle on a key skill during tech week: patience. And thats why I never comment typo in the first sentence! Id be happy to bring the other one back in. She doesnt want to fix the other one for me, right? Again, a shrug. A dry throat facilitates a virus. Okay. Sending major hugs. Ahh, sickness. (HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA NO THIS SHOW ISNT THREE HOURS LONG WHY DO YOU ASK WHAT DO YOU MEAN IM SCREAMING NO IM NOT. quickmeme: all your memes, gifs & funny pics in one place, Asked girlfriend where she wanted to eat She gave a decisive answer, Decide to strike up conversation with old man sitting all by himself at the bar At the end of the night, "By the way I'm the owner , all your drinks tonight are on the house", Have to wear a tie perfect length on first try, don't know a question on a test answer is in another question, Facebook friend request from kid who bullied me for being fat He found all the weight I lost, Goes on reddit to procrastinate writing a 10 page paper on NASA AMA by NASA technologist on front page, Stranger said Girl i was hitting on was way out of my league i was talking to my girlfriend, Friend accused me of stealing a joke from Reddit my own post, Turn around to buckle my son in his carseat on way to his 4th birthday party He's already done it and is holding his hand up for a high 5. I pointed out that its late spring or early summer, in the script, and in fact I have an entire scene about how its so hot in the kitchen (where I spend all my time), my sister actually has an asthma attack and collapses, so it seems like a sweater could be a problem. In general, dont leave anything about the week up to fate be as prepared as you possibly can be. We know you do too. My youngest volunteered at local community theater in high school. Jim Aim for prevention of injury or illness, and if this fails, absolutely make recovery a priority. Remember to clean/replace water bottles, lest you reinfect yourself. To learn more about Anthony and his work, please visit his personal blog at www.anthonyjpiccione.tumblr.com. to get it done. I go thrifting to help with props and costumes when needed. VITAMIN COTTAGE But, through trial and error, Ive learned what works for me. We passionately believe that theatre has an essential place in schools. So we know all about the crazy hours. Do you want to go to full blackout or a less dark blue- or brown-out (which can make it easier for actors and stagehands to see where theyre going, but makes transitions more visible to the audience)? A party, not so much. I learned about tech in university- I was a theatre minor. Keep your throat and neck warm and prevent it from getting dry. Im sorry this is a solicitation free website because its a personal blog. About as many times as the coconut oil; every hour or every other hour. Im always the one who says this behavior is not okay and everyone around me uncomfortably laughs it off because they know its true and then they change their behavior around me and act like a fucking decent human being or avoid me completely. (LogOut/ Wittle babykins pets have been, are, and will always be superior, and we dont deserve them. Especially if this is a paid gig, youre paid to be there. I try to prioritize continuity when assigning shifts but sometimes the availabilities don't work out so I'm usually upfront with the client that they won't necessarily always have the same person for the full run, so they better be prepared for that. What I am talking about, however, are the potential culprits that cause others to get post-show sickness. Assess singing habits (with the help of your vocal coach/music director, if possible) for damaging behaviors, and immediately seek to change them. Edit: Thank you everyone who commented! But also, go ahead and cry for a moment and be upset and then move on. To fix these problems before the audience has to see them. Keep it going with natural sugars, fruit and veg, and your immune system will thank you too. All good stuff. Again, I tried to say I was just offering context but I was fine either way and she actually TURNED HER BACK ON ME like I was just so horrible, she couldnt take it anymore. Do the same for your meals, gym time, yoga, or other self-care activities that can keep you from losing your head. Researchers have found that ascorbic acid was really just an intermediary form of the vitamin and that in the form of mineral ascorbates it could provide all of the health benefits with none of the side effects. Im not joking. How is your week going? Break a leg! Clear the throat with some gentle vocal warm ups (lip trills and 5-note arpeggios are good) or by drinking or gargling with water not by force. Maybe in the spring or summer, once weve all had a chance to finish recovering. Its also important to make sure youre absolutely clear on when each rehearsal begins and when you are to be at the theater for the shows. I had no experience with painting techniques, but learned quickly (marbling, shading, bricks). I wouldnt recommend her to a producer if she can neither comprehend the need to have costumes ready on time nor treat the actors civilly. Sweetened with Fructose for Quick Energy with Staying Power.. Costume Nazi waved my question away, assuring me it wasnt a problem. I let one of our assistant directors know the dress was on the costume rack and rehearsal began and so, mercifully, I didnt have to deal with this woman that day, because she came and went while we were working. VITAMIN WORLD As I type this up right now, I am fighting off a cold, nearing the tech week of Macbeth. So therapeutic. Then we both started volunteering for build. Its a week to throw the entirety of my energy squarely at two targets:put on a good showanddont kill yourself. And so it came to pass, last night, that I was standing on the stage during a break, maybe ten feet away from Costume Nazi, when the assistant director Id spoken with earlier was going over a list with her and said, Oh, and remember that Mir needs a different apron because the pocket on the one you brought isnt big enough. And Costume Nazi ROLLED HER EYES and shook her head as if shed just been informed I demand a bowl of green M&Ms in my private dressing room or I refuse to perform. So I thought I was imagining it that the woman doing our costuming cant stand me. Is it a landline phone or a cell phone? I dont understand why the universe doesnt balance out good and bad better, or maybe it does, but not the way I want. If youre looking for some suggestions on a great warm-up routine, you can read my other article here! An ancillary person was. I mostly don't hold it against my crew if it happens unless it becomes a pattern. Drink water or hot drinks like tea for immediate relief. I mean, were making it work, but I suspect an actual audience will be pretty confused if Im still doing that on Friday.). ), Phone charger (preferably not your home charger, in case you forget it at the theater! WHOLE FOODS About halfway through tech week, you will get sick. Its not enough to ask for a telephone ring. Zinc is one of those minerals that cancels out when mixed with certain other minerals, so if you dont pay attention to the directions, youll be getting nothing for you money. But get them in the habit of taking the time to think logically about who to ask instead of defaulting to you. To cap off this terrible, horrible, no good very bad week or run of days or WHATEVER that Im having when the show is days away from opening, yesterday it became clear that something I thought I was imagining was absolutely not my imagination. It may seem silly to have to mention seemingly obvious tasks such as eating, hydrating, and getting fresh air, but it is so easy to neglect those things when your to-do list is a mile long. I think I better read her your blog entry, so she remembers that actors have feelings, too. Kerry Hishon is a director, actor, writer and stage combatant from London, Ontario, Canada. Balance things out more locally, please and thank you. LONGS The idea of 12 hour rehearsals gets me sort of jazzed. Its important to take care of yourself leading up to tech week, or you have no hope of getting through it at your best. KING SOOPERS Avoid them as much as possible. Gah! (1) I am seized with the impulse to custom order you a t-shirt that reads Im a special princess with whimsical pocket demands. [Not to worry, I wont, because my life is nearly as demanding as yours and Ive already gotten *my* amusement by imagining it. Learn moreabout how we use cookies including how to remove them. It took me a second, but then I realized what was happening. How many times does it ring before it gets answered once, twice, ten times? Now imagine how Costume Nazi wouldve reacted if I did BOTH of those things, and thats how she reacted when I said wearing a sweater might not make sense. It shakes the entire bed. 1031Incorporated. SMITHS (Otto has been coughing for a solid month, seems like, but save for a couple of days right at the beginning when I didnt feel so hot, my superior powers of excellent hygiene and mind over matter have completely circumvented any pesky illness issues! It got to me. If they can do a tech rehearsal without you, they can probably run the entire production without you and they might decide to do that. If you're hired by the producing company they probably wouldn't look favourably upon missing a day if it's just for leisure (nowadays calling in sick is better though since no one wants to be that company that made someone come in sick). If everyone is on the same page, then potential sparks of conflict can be immediately snuffed with the mutual understanding that its a difficult time. Billing / Accounting Questions By the time we were doing promotional photos, shed been back once (maybe twice, now that I think of it), and my dress was still missing the top button and I had no belt. Its important you get some perspective on the woods from outside the trees, though. If tech week is wilderness survival, I am your overenthusiastic survival guide. Different Nazis and sets instead of costumes but stillGod bless all the theater people. Apple cider vinegar is even better, if you can stomach it adding a small amount to a glass of water is a good way to flush toxins from your system. (2) I offer the following clip from an early season of the West Wing (which I am rewatching because I cannot bear to know too much about what the *actual* administration is doing). So, general timeline: I started getting sick on Thursday; we were at the funeral on Friday when the kids got home; I saw them briefly between the funeral and rehearsal; Saturday I got up and went to go work on the set for hours; Sunday I never made it out of my pajamas and robe but the kids slept late and then went back to school; Monday I spent the bulk of the day wiping my nose, having my dog probed and handing over all my money, and then having my boobs squished, and THEN coming home and cooking show food* before running back out to rehearsal, which lasted a zillion hours. ABOUT VITAMIN C Step back and watch with pride as they demonstrate how capable they truly are. There is absolutely NOTHING (okay, MAYBE Im exaggerating a bit when I say that, but you get the idea) that could make an actors job harder than after to deal with a cough, sore throat or stuffy nose just as they are about to go out in front of an audience potentially with long monologues and major scenes for a full-scale performance. Now Im here to share it all with the world. Give yourself a moment, close your eyes, focus on your breath. Save your sanity and let your students know who the appropriate person is to handle each type of question. And that, dear readers, is the story of how I let one person singlehandedly make a tough Tech Week feel one hundred times worse. But maybe thats because its all unpaid (actors anyhow). Listen, Im no doctor. However, let the show be your main focus, just for now. Should You Work in a Theatre as an Actor. The reason they are likely responsible is because they had the misfortune of getting sick during the production, and are forced to deal with the worst of their illness as they are just about to go onstage. Do I need a belt with this or no? I asked, because Im not great with 1930s fashion and I wasnt sure. DUANE READE You might remember that I can no longer eat wheat without turning into a ball of eczema and sadness, and one of my castmates cannot eat dairy, so I offered to come up with an allergy-free liver substitute at some point. You know they saying about how real friends help you bury the body? GREAT EARTH But: its going away thanks to all these wonderful things, which is great because it usually takes me weeks to get over a cold. So worth it. People are wretched human beings. I mentioned it earlier, but Wellness Formula is magic. Long rehearsals, technical challenges, changes and adjustmentseverything is bigger and the stakes are higher, because it is so close to opening night. Must finish reading this awesome post tomorrow since duty calls right now. Assistant stage manager. Its not for nothing that this period is 'affectionately' known as hell week. (FUN FACT: In the very first scene of this show, about five minutes in, I emerge from the kitchen with a roller skate, screaming at youngest son about how he obviously must want me dead, leaving such a thing on my kitchen floor. Well, theyre going to subdue sentries and visible guards; theyve got heavy It just felt so unfair and arbitrary and nasty. Thank you for your time. Take care of yourself. BARTLET Therefore, theyre pretty great for performers. So! Until this week. So thank you all! I think it depends what the event is as well. But, depending on the show and talking to the stage manager (or whomever is in charge) ahead of time and arranging it (if they are agreeable) would be the way to do it. Centre yourself in the moment. Tempting though it is, the ease of a takeaway meal is severely offset by the negative effects when its all youre eating for days on end. SAFEWAY I just wasn't sure because a few of my theatre friends who are also going to the event, told me to just call out and I was like wait can I do that? Its a beautiful thing. Its like a week of wilderness survival but for a theatre kid. Costume Nazis got her own way but well have everything we need, dont worry said another.