Student Blog: Two Shows in Two Weeks

During my second semester of sophomore year, I was in two shows going up two weeks apart in April. Student productions of West Side Story and Chicago were coming up and rehearsals were becoming increasingly back-to-back. The tech weeks were approaching for both and academic work was not letting up. When I would get back to my dorm after late nights, I had no motivation to do homework but I had no choice as it would be due the next day. I was definitely feeling burnt out. It actually reminded me of the feelings I had in my last quarter of high school. I didn’t feel like doing anything. When it came to the rehearsal process and pushing through those final changes to choreography and blocking, I felt that I was losing focus. I was learning choreography but not fully retaining it. Overcoming this feeling actually felt pretty simple. For me, dealing with this required somewhat of a psychological approach. I had to think about the end goal and how I would only end up hurting the greater ensemble by lacking focus in the moment. I knew that I would regret not putting in sufficient work to lock down on choreography and blocking when it came time for tech. As tired as I felt, I had to continue reminding myself that this period of busyness felt long but the feeling of messing up an aspect of the show would last longer. I applied this same logic to my classes and academic course load. While it was hard to complete assignments after dancing and singing for hours, I knew that my final transcript was important. It would be disappointing to have this period of time do damage to all the hard work I did leading up to this point in the semester. 

I also made sure to prioritize health when it came to necessary sleep and eating. It feels easy to put these necessities off during high periods of stress. I’ve seen my peers substitute meals with an assignment or pull all-nighters in commitment to whatever work they have to complete. However, these solutions only cause more issues. I needed to do what I could to maximize energy. For college students involved in theater, I also recommend keeping communication with the actors or crew members around you as well. If you are feeling burnt out, there is a high chance that there are others around you feeling the same way. My campus is full of go-getters and so it is easy to find someone to refer to for advice. There are many people in your specific situation who can extend help or crucial tips. 

At the end of the day, the shows went well and I had a fun time switching between 1920s Chicago and 1950s New York within two weeks. It was definitely a lot but I would do it again!

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