Currently, I am writing this the day before tech week. I'm sitting in my bed thinking about the countless things I have to do and get accomplished this week. For those who do not know, tech week is the week before you open a show, and it is full of long rehearsals, little to no sleep, and endless school.
At my school, tech week consist of a mad dash to wrap up all the loose ends in whatever show we are doing. We start with queue to queues, then full runs, and then dress rehearsals. More times than not tech week brings rehearsals that go from 4-8 after a long day of school. Most nights I will not get home until at least 8:20. These rehearsals are long, strenuous, and stressful, but they are crucial in making the show perfect for opening night.
I have found though that the school gods never seem to agree with the theater gods. What I mean is tech week always seems to be the week where I have a test/quiz/project/etc. in EVERY. SINGLE. CLASS. This is awful because tech week is the one time where I honestly don't have time to be doing lots of homework and studying. But school comes first, so I muster up the strength to do my homework and study for exams even if it means late nights. For me, it normally means I'm not going to bed until 11 or 12 o-clock at night. Yet I still wake up at 6:30for school the next day. I know plenty of people who stay up even later as well as pull all-nighters.
In the end we theater kids make it work. We may struggle in the process, but it always works out. Now you may be wondering why we would even put ourselves through this, but the answer is quite simple. We are doing what we love. The reward of putting on an amazing show is worth the hell we go through a week before.
And to all of you who are going through a tech week, good luck. I believe in you, and you can survive this hell week! ;)