Student Blog: Theatrical Rituals

In theatre, there are a variety of traditions, routines, and superstitions. These range from specific vocal warmups, playlists in dressing rooms, and even the fear of “The Scottish Play”. My personal routines vary based on show. Am I playing an energetic cheerleader or an angry English teacher who’s sick of the world? Would my character dance along to pop sensations, or simply drown out the world while slicking back my hair with WAY too much gel?

However, I have a few things that stay the same from show to show.

1 - I love having a corner mirror in the dressing room. It feels private, and less amidst the chaos. It feels like my spot to simply breathe while everyone else is doing their thing.

2 - I decorate my spot in small ways. I can’t create full signs like those on Broadway do, but I like taking paper notes and putting them on my mirror. I’ll put my hair and makeup in specific spots depending on the section (ie. base vs eye products), just to keep it organized. I’ve even tied my mic belt on the cabinets above or left sweatshirts on my chair for easy access, but also to make it recognizable.

3 - I  make a playlist for every character (or vibe of the show). Whether found online and shuffled through, or hand-crafted with friends, I need music when prepping for a show. When doing stage makeup and getting dressed, earbuds and headphones are a lifesaver. They help me switch from everyday life and school to whoever I am. I am able to switch from being a high school student who’s not well known, and it lets me leave more confident, ready to be an absolute bully on stage.

On the more general front, each community I have been a part of has its own set of traditions. Many of which I cannot talk about for fear of my theatre ancestors lecturing me, but there are a few that I love to talk about. 

1 - My high school had specific “dress codes” of sorts for shows. After our final dress on Thursdays, anyone who ordered a shirt would receive it. We would then wear that shirt the next day, opening night. We also had a less official dress code for our Saturday shows, but it generally was a choice between semi-formal and comfy clothes. I usually opted for a jumpsuit and Crocs, which was a lot of fun when I would still have tights and quick-change layers on underneath.

2 - Warm - ups. In high school, we often did vocal warm-ups, movement-based warm-ups, and some sort of intent-setting session where we set goals for ourselves. We also often took group breaths, or found some other way to get into the headspace of performing. In college, this looked a little different, but it had a similar idea. For VDay, our theme my freshman year was Rage and Rebellion. Before each show, we would say one thing we were angry about that day, or stressed, or occasionally happy about, and would let our emotions out around it. It was a way to loosen up, but also have a grounding thing to focus our rage on.

For me, the rituals themselves are less important than the function. I personally prefer getting into the headspace of my character and allowing myself time to relax and soothe at least some of my nerves. Others prefer to jam out to early 2000s pop and do a full-body workout. Both are great – it just really depends on what is needed for oneself.