Student Blog: Organized Onstage and Off: My Go-To Tools for a Musical Theater Schedule

The pressure is on during mid-semester at school. Between prepping for juries and final exams, November is the middle crunch time where everyone is ready for Thanksgiving break. During this chaotic time of year, how do we stay present as theater artists? What tools can we, as students, fall back on when the workload and responsibilities become overwhelming?

My go-to tool is notebooks... of all kinds! My main three “must-have” notebooks are a weekly planner, a pocket notebook, and a personal journal. It’s as simple as pen and paper!

          1. Weekly Planner: The center of my organization

How can you even begin to think of managing the workload if you don’t have your schedule in check? My weekly planner is where I write down my schedule of classes, rehearsals, and performances. Within this schedule, I designate time for studying, practicing, meeting up with friends, and working out. I find that when I write down exactly when I will work or be productive, I am more motivated and willing to do so because the activity is on paper, in my calendar.

There is also a section for notes within my planner. Here, I write down my to-do lists for the week, including deadlines, assignments, errands to run, and emails to send. Visualizing my schedule on paper helps me map out my week and when I have time to work and practice as well as rest and relax.

          2. Pocket notebook: Always on hand

The millions of classes you take throughout four years in a BFA program can feel overwhelming and daunting. The semesters seem to fly by quickly. There is always so much on students’ minds. It is easy to be left with a feeling of, “Wait, what did we do in that class?” My notes help me remember not only the curriculum and exercises I am learning, but also the valuable advice my teachers have shared.

My teachers are reinforcing this as well. In my Viewpoints and Acting classes, I have to submit one journal entry each week about what we are learning and experimenting with in class. In my Musical Theater Technique classes, the teacher has us take notes for the person who is standing up, performing their song and being coached. In my voice lessons, I know exactly what technical adjustments I was given to work on for next week. My academic notebook helps me stay grounded and specific about what I am working on.

          3. Personal Journal: Where my thoughts land

The art of journaling is that taking the moment to sit down and write at the end of a day helps to decompress, recharge, and document what has been happening in life. If the day was tiring and long, I use the journal to alleviate any lingering negativity. If the day was exciting and carefree, I use the journal to remember the joys and appreciate my experiences. I can even write about something as simple as the peacefulness in my walk to class.

I still have the journal I wrote in when I did a winter Shakespeare acting intensive in Prague. It has a combination of valuable notes I took from classes and rehearsals, as well as a place where I could recount experiences from my travels. I wrote about museums, beautiful views, historic cafes and restaurants, performances I watched, and interesting people I met. The journal gave me a landing point at the end of an exhilaratingly long day. I use my notebooks in the same way when I am here in Boston at school, to help me focus, stay organized, and get the most out of my education.