BWW Blog: Tara Folio - Confessions of a Twenty-Two Year Old Grandma

As I head into my third week of summer stock, my coffee addiction seems to be at an all time high. The amount of energy needed to power through the daily schedule here is probably equivalent to the amount of energy needed to power the entire city of Las Vegas (a little dramatic? Maybe, but I am a thespian, it comes with the territory). To be totally honest, I never knew that a company could perform so well with such a miniscule amount of sleep, but the Entire company (especially our fearless tech and costume crew), are powering through with grace. The days of relaxing at the lake and having cast movie nights after rehearsal are now behind us as we begin rehearsing for The Producers in the morning, and performing 9 to 5 once (or twice on certain days) in the evening. With this hectic schedule it's sometimes difficult to keep on going morning after morning, but my best friend and I have a secret way of adapting, and we affectionately call it "Grandma Mode". This mode is pretty simple, but when you're twenty-two and fresh out of college, it's not always the most appealing coping mechanism. "Grandma Mode" means setting bedtimes and sticking to them, even if your friends are hanging out or going on a fun adventure; we have decided that experiencing a little FOMO is worth being rested for the upcoming day. "Grandma Mode" means that you need to schedule quiet time for yourself, whether it's sitting outside during breakfast or reading before you go to bed, you have to take time to tune out your surroundings and focus on you. "Grandma Mode" means doing your homework and being prepared with your music, blocking, and dance steps for the next day, even if Netflix is calling your name. "Grandma Mode" means choosing healthier options and taking your vitamins (no matter how much you wish your mug could be filled with wine instead of tea). There's no time to be down during this job, you have to be "on" and killing the game, twenty-four-seven, so you have to make sure you're making smart and healthy decisions (especially because your mom can't live with you at summer stock, that would be awkward for everyone). So take it from a newly converted "Grandma", even though you may be fine with getting two hours of sleep, your body will hate you, and you just don't have time for that. Warning: If you begin to find hard candy in your purse or suddenly carry an abundance of used tissues, you have gone to far into "Grandma Mode", seek help immediately.