Student Blog: My High School Drama Clubs Pre-Show Rituals

Through my 4 years in drama club, I found that togetherness was one of my main takeaways from my experience. Whether it was the long rehearsals we endured or just simply goofing around backstage at totally inappropriate times, it never deterred from our main goal: making a successful show. 

For me — personally, before a show I usually take time for myself to recognize how far this journey has taken me. Maybe there were some things that I was nervous about even before auditioning or uncomfortable with during the rehearsal process, but since my cast and I’ve come a long way, it is the learning curve that I should be thankful for. Mindfulness is the main way to keep yourself grounded when you’re in something as unpredictable as theatre. Also, remembering that there’s not a 100% guarantee that everything will NOT go to plan combats harsh self-criticism on you and your theatre community. 

As a group, I remember in high school that we would all go around and do ‘shout-outs.’ We would go around the circle and basically ‘shout-out’ a person that really had shone brightly throughout the rehearsal process and always put their best foot forward. I had the pleasure of “shouting out” my friends and being “shouted out” throughout my time in drama club and it truly causes a shift when gratitude is shown. Not only does it feel good to know that you’re cared about and recognized for your work, but it also makes you feel good to express how others have positively impacted you. The intention of gratitude builds a community up, when there’s mishaps, mistakes and missed cues. Understanding that everyone is human is key.

One of my favorite traditions my drama club did was the ‘Star Giveaway.’ The drama club committee would write your name on a holographic, paper star and then on the back it would say something that reminded them of you or a reaction to you. I remember my sophomore year when I was a dance captain and I was helping clean choreography and it would drive me crazy whenever people wouldn’t straighten their arms. My catch phrase when I got frustrated was “You guys are gonna give me an aneurysm!” It’s safe to say that the back of my star saying “Sorry… Please don’t have an aneurysm!” was fair.