Whether you’re an actor, stagehand or SM, you definitely know how each of these things feel, especially during show week.

No Sleep

You may as well face the facts. You will get minimal sleep this week. Whether it’s finishing painting the set or baking cupcakes for concessions, your sleep schedule will be utterly effed this week.

Food

Healthy? What’s that? We take what we can get during show week, and after all the stress, we’ll opt for comfort food over anything else. Singers and actors alike will throw the no-dairy commandment out the window for an after-show milkshake.

Murphy’s Law

“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” Props break (“Damn it, actors” -SM’s), bulbs will blow and the lead will inexplicably develop full-blown laryngitis overnight. How? The universe just seems to hate us. Every. Time.

Skin & Hair Health

This one goes specifically for performers. Your skin begins to turn to crap after wearing so much stage makeup night after night and scrubbing at it with chemically filled wipes each time. Your hair will become fried from curling, stiff and lifeless from gel and sweaty as all get -out from being under a wig. But, hey, we must suffer for our craft.

Blisters

Speaking of suffering, how on earth do we get so many blisters at one time? And it’s not even just shoes — I’ve seen costume jewelry that’s too tight rub someone’s skin raw. It’s ridiculous. Band-aids are a must for everyone.

Deodorant & Febreze

Here’s an inside tip for you non-thespians: Costumes don’t get washed every night. That means that every few days, someone goes around and sprays the whole line of costumes with Febreze. Because those dressing rooms can smell rank after a few days of performance.

Fights

Inevitably, there will be some kind of drama backstage. It doesn’t matter who it’s between, it causes at least a slight bit of awkwardness for all of the cast and crew. Sure, by the end of the run, the argument’s over, but for some reason, there’s always that ONE.

Weird Rituals

Warm ups and pre-show rituals can be strange to outsiders, but they make perfect sense to the cast and crew. For example, at my college, we tap each other’s butts for good luck before getting into places. Is it odd? Sure. Will we continue to do it, as long as everyone’s consenting? Absolutely. Don't mess with the superstitions of theatre people. (And for the love of God, don't say the Scottish play's name. Because we will force you to do the stupid countercurse.)

No Social Life

During one show, a castmate and I came up with a saying: “Show is real. Life is not.” This rings true for all thespians, especially during the crazy times. You say sorry to friends in advance and apologize to your mom for never calling her ahead of time because you know that all of your time will be spent on stage, backstage, or with your theatre people.

Feeling Proud, Accomplished And Fulfilled

Despite all the craziness, ups and downs, raw honey and restitching costumes, you wouldn’t trade the feeling of completing a show and receiving a standing ovation for the world. Your cast and crew become your family and you create something truly beautiful that resonates with people from all walks of life. You bring people together to enjoy the magic of storytelling, even if just for a few hours. And that in itself is magic.