Anyone who’s ever worked in theater will know that ‘tech week’ can be a little difficult. Long hours, having to repeat the same things over and over again and things going wrong can all lead to patience wearing thin and tempers rising! So we’ve put together our top tips to help you survive tech!
- Eat well and hydrate – ensure your energy levels are at their best by eating as healthily as possible during breaks and keeping your water bottle topped up at all times. It’s also not a bad idea to keep a bowl of candy in your dressing room for a quick burst of sugar whenever you need it – just as long as it’s nothing you can spill on your costume!
- Keep your cool – remember that all different departments are dealing with their own problems and difficulties, so if you need to voice an issue, talk to the appropriate person with respect and politeness!
- Occupy yourself – there’s a lot of sitting round in tech week, so bring things to do backstage that will keep you alert and occupied. Crosswords, books, coloring in – all great options.
- Don’t miss your cues – don’t get too engrossed in your backstage business that you end up missing your cues! Keep listening to the PA system backstage to ensure you are still being professional and don’t annoy anyone by going AWOL when it’s time for you to be onstage!
- Make your dressing room ‘yours’ – you’re going to be spending a lot of time there, so make your dressing room as homely as possible. Put up photos, bring your favourite coffee cup in, make sure your lucky mascot has a place to sit – it’ll help you keep calm and relaxed when things get a bit frazzled!
- Bond with your cast-mates – there’s a lot of downtime during tech week, so make this your opportunity to get to know your ‘show family’. If you’ve got friends in the cast, the entire run will be a more positive experience, so use any time you’re sitting around backstage to get to know who they are outside of their characters!What would your survival tips for tech week be?
by Katie Brennan
www.bloodyhellbrennan.com
@katie_brennan
