Student Blog: Balancing a Restful & Productive Summer

Us theatre students deserve a restful summer, especially after working non-stop on productions and schoolwork for two semesters. However, falling behind is something you should consider avoiding if you’re hoping to maintain your skills and walk into next school year starting off strong. Rather than spending everyday by the pool or binging your favorite Netflix show, it may be a good idea to take some time to begin getting yourself prepared for back-to-school (since it’s coming so soon) by opening your monologue book or researching the curriculum of the courses you'll be enrolled in. Furthermore, this could also be a good time for volunteering at that community theater down the road or building that personal website you’ve been putting off. There are plenty of ways you can enjoy a restful summer while staying productive so you’re more than prepared to reenter a busy school year.

Summer is the ideal season for theatre students for many reasons: summer stocks, the sleep we never had time for, and of course, simply having the spare time in general. We have so much time on our hands now (unless you’re like me doing summer stock work) sometimes it may be a struggle finding ways to spend it all. I had this problem last year, living at home for the summer. Luckily, I connected with a local community theatre in my area and was able to land both a job and show there. If you happen to have a community theatre near you, I encourage you to reach out to them! I am sure they need volunteers for their summer shows and may even have a job opening. It never hurts to send an email, so if you’re wondering how to spend your hours and are looking for a way to be back in the theatre, I highly recommend doing this.

If you don’t have a community theatre near you, that’s okay! There are still ways to keep yourself busy at home. If your theatre program is like mine, you probably have auditions taking place the first week of school. If you’re a performer, begin searching for monologues/songs and any other audition materials you’ll need NOW. You’ll do yourself a huge favor, get ahead of the game, and you’ll feel much more confident about auditions rather than waiting the week before school to begin memorizing your monologue(s). Starting earlier also gives you more time to carefully choose which monologues/songs you’ll be auditioning with, because the more strategic you are in choosing materials that fully showcase who you are and your range, the more likely your auditioner will notice you came prepared. Get those audition materials memorized and polished now so you can walk into your audition feeling proud of the work you’re sharing!

Not a performer? No problem! Career prep is always something you can work on. If you don’t already have a personal website, it would be super useful to take this time to build one. There are plenty of free website-builders online. I personally use Weebly. Creating your website now can take some pressure off you later when it is time to apply for professional jobs. You could also begin touching up your resume, making different versions of your resume (if you work in multiple areas of theatre), drafting cover letters for jobs you’d like to one day apply for, or even researching theatre companies you’d be interested in working for in the future. There are so many low-stress projects you can work on now that will ultimately serve you well later!

Say you’ve already worked on one or more of these things, good for you! Something else you could do is research the curriculum of the courses you’re taking next semester. This could help you understand the class you’re walking into, so you’re not blindsided by assignments or rigorous expectations. For example, maybe you could ask your classmates who have already taken those courses to give you a quick rundown of the materials you’ll need, what they wish they would’ve known going in, and what tools they used to help them be successful. Another thing you could do is research the topics your course may likely touch on. For example, if you’re taking a directing class, perhaps look up a job description for a director, review the job’s expectations, and research terms you may not know.

Remember, it’s okay to spend summer resting. There is nothing wrong with having the fun you deserve to have or recovering from a busy year by sleeping in the extra hours. However, my suggestion is to find a balance so that you’re able to get the rest you need while preparing yourself for a successful school year. Spend your free time here and there thinking of ways to stay productive so your transition back-to-school isn’t as overwhelming. Keep those theatre muscles stretched and that knowledge intact. Thanks for reading!