Student Blog: Before the Curtain Rises: A Look Into Pre-Show Rituals

Take a very, very deep breath. Hold it. And let your mind leave everything else at the door. This is just one of the things I do to prepare myself for a performance. Everyone has different pre-show rituals that can help them prepare for their performances. From taking deep breaths to shaking the nerves off, let’s take a look at all the different pre-show rituals everyone has!

For me, the most important pre-show ritual that I do before any production I’m a part of (cast or crew) is that I have my own pre-show playlist. Music is a very important thing in my life, and it has helped me get through the good and bad. Music can especially help when you have all sorts of nerves before you step on stage. I usually listen to the playlist starting at half hour, up to fifteen till places. Those 15 minutes of focus and music can really help you get into the right mindset before you make your first entrance.

I usually use the same playlist for every show. However, I occasionally add songs that I have recently been obsessed with. The playlist contains all sorts of music; it is mainly theatrical soundtracks. When I listen to the playlist, I usually like to sit in a place that doesn’t have a lot of traffic backstage. This can be either in a corner, a quiet place backstage, at my dressing room station, and more.

Some of the things that are currently on my pre-show playlist include songs from shows like 42 Balloons, Maybe Happy Ending, Paddington, Come From Away, The Notebook, Wicked, and a few others. Some songs that are not soundtracks include songs by Ben Platt, Nic Dantes, Bryan Munar, and more. 

As mentioned, everyone has many different pre-show rituals that are important to them. I talked to a few different artists, and they talked about their rituals. JJ Nieman mentioned how vocal steaming is one of his vital rituals. As a performer myself, I can understand how important steaming can be. Another performer I talked to was Ian Coursey. Ian talked about two things he does before a show. The first thing is that he likes to play guitar before a show. He said that it can get him grounded and relaxed. Another thing that he talked about was a tradition that he got from Michael McElroy. He said that right before he makes his first entrance, he puts his hand over his heart and thinks about his five-year-old self. He said at that moment, he says “I got you." He mentioned how doing that can make you remember why you are doing it and how excited the younger version of you would be if it saw you now. It can also remind us to take care of ourselves because we are still that little kid.

Even though those are just a few traditions and rituals, everything that you do before a show is very important!