The #1 Tip to Get Through Tech Week Alive.
“It’s the week of the show, ya’ll!” This is a sentence I’ve said too many times in my lifetime. It’s a configuration of letters that have layers to it like an onion. Subtext is key under these 7 words, and if you’re a theatre person, you hope it’s filled with lucky annotations.
The week of the show — AKA Tech Week — AKA Hell Week — can make or break your soul. No, I’m not kidding. It’s a week of stress where emotions and pressure run high no matter what shape the show is in. The days are filled with late nights and exhausting next-mornings.
If you feel unprepared, that only makes you feel worse. But if you are prepared, there’s a chance a smooth Tech Week might be too good to be true. I’m not a superstitious person, but one I firmly have confirmation on from experience is that a rough Tech/Hell Week = A Smooth Run. A smooth Tech/Hell Week = A Rough Run.
In honor of St. Mary’’s Drama Guild’s Production of Roger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella opening this weekend on April 27th, I’ve decided to share the #1 Tech Week Tip to help those (and myself) get through the week of possible “hell.”
It’s simple: Nourish Yourself.
As humans living in the modern age, we are far too often on-the-go. Tech week naturally cuts our Us-Time down to nothing, especially if we have full time jobs and we’re participating in a community theatre production.
One thing is for sure, we need to be at our best. To do that, we need sleep, emotional relaxation and release, and proper nourishment. Your physical, mental, and emotional health comes first.
FOOD NOURISHMENT
Drink PLENTY of water. I can’t stress this enough. You need to be hydrated, even if that means you have to take a trip to the bathroom every half hour. Sprinkle tea into your days to keep your vocal chords warm or if your throat feels hoarse. Herbs and tea leaves also provide amazing health and healing benefits.
Eat your veggies. Your body craves the nutrients and vitamins that vegetables provide to keep your body running. Eating mounds of fast food because of its lifestyle convenience will only make you feel more tired and leave you feeling more hungry. Veggies are the foods that fill you up.
Eat protein. If you’re a meat-eater, great. Try to stay away from overly processed proteins (that means stay away from fast food burgers). If you’re a vegetarian like me, or vegan, nuts and beans are a great source of protein.
Meal Prep. Save time! Prep your meals for the week. Pack ‘em with whole grains like rice or quinoa, protein, and those precious vegetables that are going to nourish you. You know what your body likes best, so eat accordingly.
SLEEP NOURISHMENT
Get PLENTY of sleep. This is where my problem lies, as I have major sleep issues. So I feel ya on this one. If you need to take a half day at work to get a few extra hours of sleep, do it. If you push yourself through the week, it’s almost Opening Night, and you need a day off from work, take it! Remember: if you’re not functioning at your best, all aspects of your life are affected. That includes work. Don’t let yourself or your work suffer. Your boss wants you at your best. The show wants you at your best. And I KNOW you want you at your best.
EMOTIONAL NOURISHMENT
LET IT OUT (in the proper setting). The stress and pressure of Tech Week alone can cause your blood pressure to skyrocket or your eyes to release a whole ocean of tears. The only way emotions pass is to let them out. Don’t hold them in. How?
Journal how you are feeling.
Practice breathing exercises.
Meditate or do yoga.
Take a walk.
Use your role during the show for drama therapy.
I highly recommend doing these things outside of rehearsal. Everyone’s emotions and stress levels are different and heightened during Tech Week. The last thing the week needs is someone to set fuel to the already burning fire. Let your emotions out privately or separately so the collective energy of the cast and team does not blow up.
I’ve had to manage those situations, and ultimately it makes it harder for everyone. If you need to express concerns, — which you have every right to — for the benefit of everyone, be wise in how and where you express them. This is theatre, where our world is full of empathetic, highly emotional and expressive people. We don’t need everyone going off the deep end and halt production. To wrap it up, be kind and courteous.
To tie this blog post together with a big bow, the most important tip for Tech Week is to take care of yourself first. The lines, the quick costume changes, your choreography and blocking, the props, the set changes — they will all follow and flow as long as you are as centered as you can be (and know your material). Breathe. As long as you breathe, you’re alive, which means that you can tackle Tech Week.
I’m going to follow my own advice now.
Yesterday, I stocked up on mounds of veggies from the grocery store. My body needs that vegetable energy to stay in a corset for most of the show, and Charlotte is a character full of physical comedy. Imagine prat-falling in a corset. It's a ton of exhausting fun and I can’t wait to show her to all of you. Tickets are on sale now. Get yours here.
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