Student Blog: An Opening Night in the Life of a Collegiate Performer

Balancing the daily schedule of a full-time college student is rough, and adding a Work-Study program, clubs, honors associations, rehearsals, shows, events, and hopefully some socialization time just makes the days seem endless. Late nights and early mornings become a norm with just enough time in between to eat, refill a water bottle, and look at your lines for the day. I used to get swept up in the chaos of things, allowing stress to consume me while trying to give my 100% to everything, but on show days, jeopardizing my health and energy is extremely dangerous and could impact the state of the show that evening. To avoid this, I found a couple of traditions that helped me feel prepared and energized for the shows I partake in. As both an actor and a manager, I have two different means of preparation for each, but in this case, we’ll focus on my acting traditions and schedule, and how I sleep soundly at night knowing I did the best I could onstage.

Before the performance day, I like a relaxing and comforting night to mentally prepare myself for the long day ahead. My nighttime routine consists of small comforts that lull me asleep. First thing I do is take a long, hot shower. These showers last about 30 minutes, giving me time to rest in the steam and bask in the essential oil shower steamers (my favorite is lavender). I always put on some nice, comfy PJs afterwards and spray my bed with a lavender-scented sleep spray. After my shower, I treat myself to my comfort dinner; right now it is soup dumplings! I then curl up in bed and turn on my headphones to listen to some music. All of this happens before 11pm, so I can ensure that I am asleep by midnight. Having a good night's sleep sets me up for an enjoyable early morning!

Waking up early in the morning gives me time to exist without rushing to get ready for the day. My ideal wake-up time is 8 am. I always make a cup of tea in the morning to relax and kickstart my metabolism. Not to mention, I keep my tea flavor a surprise, so this motivates me to get out of bed. After my morning tea and a small breakfast, I get dressed for the day, making sure to take my medication so I don’t feel sluggish throughout the day.

Getting through classes on a performance day is rough, but I always bring a squishy or a snack to get me through the class without panicking about my upcoming performance. I always feel as if I need to be preparing for the show, so having distractions during my slower responsibilities helps me get through them more easily. In between classes, I always go to the cafeteria and try to prioritize a filling lunch of my favorite items. My go-to is usually a soup and sandwich combo, depending on the soups available that day. Once classes are over, I always find time to go out and get my favorite restaurant for dinner. As of now, my go-tos are Wingstop or Chili’s. Oftentimes, I get too busy with classes and have to have dinner after the show, but planning what I am getting always helps that train of thought move along.

Finally getting to the good stuff, preparing for the show. I arrive an hour earlier than my call, if possible, to have time to eat, relax, and make sure everything is in its place. When getting ready, I play my ‘musicals’ playlist with music from every show I have either seen or been in, which motivates me to do as well as I did before, or as I saw before! I also make sure to bring snacks and mints to my dressing room so I can snack a little in case I don’t have time to get dinner. I always make sure I am ready before Greenroom, as that is the most important tradition I partake in as a collegiate performer.

Catawba College’s Theatre Department has a mascot named Myrtle the Turtle. Myrtle was gifted to us by a professor who received her from a medicine man in the Congo, who blessed her to provide good luck to any show. She is an ivory turtle on an ebony base, and as long as everyone in the theatre involved with the show that night kisses her, the show will go splendidly. Not kissing her curses the show and puts people at risk of embarrassment or accidents! We always give a shoutout to people coming to see the show that night, and as the Management Work Study, I always take the time to check the ticketing system to see who is coming. A lot of my co-actors like to gather around my computer and see if they recognize anyone coming as well.

Once the show is over, I like to speak with audience members for about 15 minutes, taking the time to check on Front of House and see if anything crazy happened. Then I undress, go back to my room, eat something from my favorite restaurants, get in comfy PJs again, and then call my partner to debrief about the show I was in.

All of these traditions seem typical, but I always make sure to follow them precisely. These traditions make me feel like the best performer I can be, and I do not want to be anything less. Finding what makes you confident and ready can be life-changing when doing something as vulnerable as acting in front of a live audience. Always make time to take care of yourself and your needs, no matter how practical or typical they seem.