Having a love for theater and the arts is one of the most delightful, beautiful, yet intense passions there is. "Theater kids" are all usually known to be very charismatic and high-energy people, and it is blatant that we live in our own little fantasy theater world. While it may be true, it is also a very misunderstood world, and those family members and friends who do not belong to this class may need these 15 tips of "theater life 101" to help understand their theater loving mates a little bit better.
1. Tech week.
When I am in tech week, I am naturally going to be irritable, tired, and probably give you an attitude. No, I am not PMS-ing, I am tired of hearing that one. We run the entire show multiple times until it is perfect. Full-out vocally, full out choreographically, and even clean up some of the messy spots. If all of that alone was not exhausting enough, we stay after for a session of notes, sometimes followed by a harsh lecture, clean out the dressing room fully, and by then it is one o’clock in the morning.
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2. When I have no voice, I really may not be sick.
So please take my word for it. Whether I am acting in a haunted house for the weekend screaming my lungs out, or belting a vocally demanding song over and over, no amount of vocal rest or throat coat can do the job. Just because I have laryngitis and sound like a dying walrus when I speak, it does not always mean that I am ill and contagious, so you do not need to tell me to “stay away” from you and act like I am walking around with the plague.
3. Theater is not all fun and games.
It is a LOT of work. Imagine working a long, busy, tiring shift at work, and just ending the day sore in pain and not getting paid for any of it. We are to arrive extra early (since in theater time, early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable), and expected to work full out, which is physically and mentally exhausting. We are to do character research, rehearse on our own time at home, have everything memorized as soon as possible, and work non-stop. Theater is work. Hard work. But so extremely worth it.
4. Plays focus on the spoken dialogue to tell the story.
Musicals allow the story to be conveyed through setting the spoken words to lyrics in a song. A play is a play. A musical is a musical. They are not the same thing.
5. I am not on a sports team, so no, I do not have practice today.
I am an actor, I have rehearsal. Again, they are not the same thing.
6. I am very good at putting on a façade that I am in a good mood.
I am not always happy. The actor just comes out in me and knows how to act like everything is okay. I could be smiling and laughing on the outside, but inside maybe not so much.
7. More drama happens backstage than onstage.
Believe it or not.
8. I have an abundance of t-shirts I wear once but will never get rid of.
I know that to you it may look funny that I am wearing a shirt reading “Bye Bye Birdie” with a cast list on the back in gym class, but with doing shows means I have a million and one t-shirts, which do come in handy for times other than going to bed.
9. Yes, I'm a fan-girl.
I fan-girl over the news of a musical being revived. I fan-girl over actors tweeting at me. I fan-girl at the fact the rights for a specific show have been released. I'm a fan-girl. It’s a thespian thing, it is what we do.
10. I have a lot of the weird facts most likely from it being included in a show I have done, or obsessed over that I might randomly state.
I know that there are 525,600 minutes in a year, and I am not a math genius, but I am a theater kid.
11. I have a specific memory.
Just because I can remember all of my lines, all of my lyrics, and all of my choreography all at once, does not mean I am capable of remembering everything, or even a lot of things at all. “So you can remember all your lines in a script but you cannot remember what I told you ten minutes ago?” Umm, most likely no.
12. I really am not ignoring you.
It is also untrue that I do not care about our friendship. When I am in the process of doing a show, I am just incredibly preoccupied and busy. I cannot stress enough that I do try to make time and I do try and organize my schedule to the best of my ability. But sometimes rehearsals and shows really do take up a lot of my time. Or to rephrase that, rehearsals and shows suck all of my energy and time into a giant vortex-hole.
13. I am sorry for all of the angry rants and/or cheerful outbursts
Especially on social media while the Tony’s are on. I just wait all year for this day. And if I just so happen to be working that night, I will be all bent out of shape and rant about that. On Tony’s night, you should probably just not go on social media for a while.
14. I. Will. Burst. Out. Into. Song.
Frankly, I have no explanation. Musical theater people 95% of the time are extremely passionate about the songs in any Broadway musical, and if we hear a random word that makes us think of a specific Broadway show tune, we will find comfort in that, get excited, and begin to sing.
15. Tea with honey becomes my best friend during the run of my show.
Or just stays my best friend forever. And it is way healthier than coffee. And no, that does not make me a boring old fart.
16. The final curtain.
Lastly, theater is one of the most challenging, competitive, exhausting, lifestyles out there. But more importantly, it is the most rewarding.
