Student Blog: Theatrical Traditions and Routines

As someone who is studying to be a theatre teacher, I often think about the traditions that my future students will do before, during, and after shows. Then, I reflect on the traditions I still carry with me that I used to do with my theatre friends while we were in shows together.

When I was working as an assistant teacher for the summer camps at South Bend Civic Theatre, the camp director asked me if I remembered how to do "Bananas", a theatre warm-up I had first learned when I was in kindergarten. I said yes, even though my mind was a bit foggy on some of the directions. So, I went into the middle of the circle of campers and did it, thinking about the people I used to do this warm-up with.

When I was in kindergarten, I joined the cast of The Jungle Book and started a journey in theatre that has changed my life forever, and we would do this warm-up before every show to get our nervous energy out and our performing energy up for the audience.

Then, we did it at my high school, and there was an added tradition that seniors would lead it on their last show. I got to participate in that when I became a senior. I still use "Bananas" in my coursework when I have to lead warm-ups, and I think it's a wonderful tool.

I think even though the shows we've done leave a huge impact on us, it's the people and the traditions that we learn that stick even more. At my high school, right before places were called, we would hold each other's hands in a circle and go around saying, "I give you my best." This meant that we promised to give each other our best performance and our best support to them throughout the show. It meant a lot to hear it from my fellow cast members and to say it to them. This, along with "Bananas", is a tradition that I want to take into my own theatre, promising my students to give them my best always.