BWW Blog: Meet Chase Walker - What to Do When Your Show Isn't Coming Together

Sometimes things in the theatre don't go according to plan. People fall through, issues arise, or other unforeseeable issues occur but knowing how to get through these things can make the overall experience better. Below I have compiled a list of tips that I have learned from some of my most stressful theatre experiences.

1. Remain optimistic- I have been in situations where the show was extremely behind schedule. The one thing to keep in mind is that there is still time. You don't only have 14 days until opening; you STILL have 14 days until opening.

2. Be supportive- Sometimes a cast member isn't meeting the expectations of the director, or the rest of the cast. In this situation, it helps to be supportive. If an actor feels as though no one likes his or her performance they may be scared to do their best in rehearsal and during the show. The best shows I have seen are the ones where I hear constantly about how close the cast was and the worst were where the cast was ready to rip someone's throat out.

3. Take care of yourself- A lot of the time rehearsal can be stressful, especially if the production isn't working under equity standards. One show that I was in the ensemble for had tech rehearsals that often ended after midnight. By the end of the week, everyone in the cast was exhausted and opening hit us like a train. The lack of sleep, physical and emotional stress, mixed with the dust of the old theatre space was not the best conditions and by the end of tech week, I had a 103-degree temperature and no voice. During stressful situations like that making sure that you get the right intake of vitamins, proper meals, and adequate sleep is extremely important.

4. Stay open minded- In time crunches, sometimes the most amazing things happen. No one in the cast wants to look stupid on stage, so in a short amount of time it can be amazing to see what happens when everyone steps up, talents that you didn't know existed can be discovered.

5. Never talk bad about your show- I have been in situations where the show is not coming together well and cast members start telling their families and friends to not come see the show. Some of the shows turned out to be the best shows I've been in but our ticket sales were affected. Word of mouth is extremely important, especially from what I have seen in an educational theatre. One cast member says the show is bad and suddenly the whole school knows. You never know what will happen to a show, sometimes a miracle occurs over the night between final dress and opening.

6. Stay respectful to your production crew and tech- These people are the ones who are making sure you don't stand on an empty stage, naked, and in the dark. Keep in mind that these people are probably just as stressed as you are and they don't need the excessive drama and attitude that they so often receive. They often do their work without major recognition but a simple "thank you" goes a long way.

The biggest tip of advice I would have for any show that has been stressful is to just have fun. For a majority of actors, productions are unpaid volunteer work and they are doing it because the theatre is their passion. Remember why you specifically love being onstage and remember that each person in the cast has their own motive, so take a moment to breathe and simply put your all into each performance you give.

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