getting sick during tech week

I hope your plague dissipates and you kill it in your show! For lighting, come in with specific looks planned out, and knowing how long you want each lighting cue to take. rifles and the CIA wet team. Drink water or hot drinks like tea for immediate relief. We just found out one of my dogs (the shih tzu) has Cushings disease and apparently its going to cost every cent I have to manage/regulate it. [emailprotected]. I have been in a lot of shows in my life. Go on vocal rest when not performing, if at all possible. While I understand that I am not always going to be everyones preferred cup of tea in all situations, I AM A FUCKING DELIGHT to have as part of your show, is my point. But it doesnt have to result in you becoming a stressed-out mess. Take the recommended amount and itll help fight your cold and send it packing. So, general timeline: I started getting sick on Thursday; we were at the funeral on Friday when the kids got home; I saw them briefly between the funeral and rehearsal; Saturday I got up and went to go work on the set for hours; Sunday I never made it out of my pajamas and robe but the kids slept late and then went back to school; Monday I spent the bulk of the day wiping my nose, having my dog probed and handing over all my money, and then having my boobs squished, and THEN coming home and cooking show food* before running back out to rehearsal, which lasted a zillion hours. Now I have a sore throat and a drippy nose and a really bad attitude, because when I start screaming at my stage kid with a fake banana roller skate in my hand, the only thing that could possibly make it better would be a raw, red nose and a river of endless snot.) SAFEWAY Crew. I work at a college as assistant costume shop manager and it is utterly unthinkable that the costume designer wouldnt have even read the play! Thank you for your time. Read a book! The blocking doesnt work with the stage design, lights break, make-up melts, costumes dont fit the way they were supposed to. Round-up: Best casting advice for fellow directors, Round-up: Best costuming advice for a new director, Performing Outdoors Part 2: Safety Considerations, Performing Outdoors Part 1: Technical Considerations, Getting Ready to Direct Your First Virtual Play, Tax Information (IRS W-9, Tax ID Number, GST Number). My daughter is a theater person. WAL-MART If you had read this thread a few years back, it would have seemed unimaginable, unobtainable. Since Vitamin C is an acid (ascorbic acid) which can irritate the kidneys, bladder and intestines, side effects associated with Vitamin C intake in large doses include heartburn, nausea, flatulence and diarrhea. Tensions are likely to be high during tech week. His work has appeared everywhere from film magazines to product descriptions of shampoo to the course pages of major universities. Given that its a Neil Simon play this seems far-fetched but who knows. (LogOut/ I have been thinking of you lately as I had to take my daughter to the ER earlier this week when her mental illness was out of control. fight them off if I get stricken down by one. I heard it was the worst- as in the hardest rehearsal time frame.I may just be an audience member- but I understand all of the hard work it goes to perform on stage. When you get a cold, you take a bunch of these (follow instructions on the bottle) and magically, your cold gets cut in half. Is it a landline phone or a cell phone? The next time I went thrifting (for props, by the way), I found a dress NEARLY IDENTICAL to the one shed put me in, so I bought it. Thats fine, I said. (See you Friday. Because this is helpful and has anything to do with the heart of what you just said, I have to tell you: I object to the term wet tech. My lips are ever so primly pursed. Im too old for that crap. See your doctor for diagnosis and more complete advice. Keep your throat and neck warm and prevent it from getting dry. If you have lighting looks that you will use more than once, note that on your planning sheet. Some say it makes them phlegmy and swear it off in the days before performing, some dont care. This is real good for performers who need to use their voices. Costume Nazi swung by a couple other times, and every time I felt like there was something about ME in particular which she found offensive, and I tried to let it go, because hey, whatever, you dont have to like me, and if youre that butthurt over me bringing a different dress to try to help out, I doubt theres anything I can do to change your mind, so alrighty. So we know all about the crazy hours. Step back and watch with pride as they demonstrate how capable they truly are. If tech week is wilderness survival, I am your overenthusiastic survival guide. Because what is this womans damage? So now I just take it during tech week as a precaution. And thats why I never comment typo in the first sentence! I BELIEVE THAT IS ENOUGH. Right?? Better, I guess, because she didnt puke.). I go thrifting to help with props and costumes when needed. As Ive mentioned before, dry air isnt good for sick people. Breathe. As for the costume person, I have a feeling its not even about you. You can totally undermine all of the effort everyone has put into the show if you dont take care of yourself. Ask anyone. 2) Finalizing costumes and props, if anything is missing (something is always missing before Tech Week). But I did ask if shed brought the cloth napkins, and she looked at me like I had twelve heads and said, You have napkins here already. Islowly, carefully, NEUTRALLYsaid that they were all my napkins from home, and we didnt have seven matching ones, and theyre not period, and shed said she was bringing some? It got to me. I think I better read her your blog entry, so she remembers that actors have feelings, too. So Id say if this event you want to go to is at all recreational reschedule it. At least half the cast has now gotten sick, and I fell prey. Give them the details up front so they dont have to do it over. Maybe in the spring or summer, once weve all had a chance to finish recovering. Wittle babykins pets have been, are, and will always be superior, and we dont deserve them. When things are getting too much, nerves are piling upon nerves, and it seems like everything is on the verge of collapse: stop. In the past, perhaps some of us (yes, I am very much guilty of this) used our acting skills to get out of school as a kid by faking it. Its so important, I will say it again, in bold this time:it is absolutely crucial that actors take care of themselves during tech week. For example, if you dont take care of a sore throat and sing all through tech week and performances with no regard for your health, you can severely damage your voice and be vocally handicapped for weeks or longer. It was the kind of bill that makes you feel a little woozy. Before tech week starts, it is helpful to get some other responsibilities out of your way. Its not enough to ask for a telephone ring. LONGS It has zinc in it and when you follow the instructions on the package, it really speeds up the healing process. Thank them, and treat them like the superstars they are! WEIS Tech Weeks for parents of drama kids is just as draining. Students should be able to approach you with questions. Build. Thats about 4 Swell water bottles. This is when those post-rehearsal pub trips come in especially handy. My daughter is a stay late / can do / super helper too. That meant that yesterday I was cooking pancakes before rehearsal. The only other interaction we had wherein I may have been labeled problematic wasand bear in mind Costume Nazi told us the first time she showed up that she hasnt read the script and will not have time to do soat some point she told me I would be getting a blouse and cardigan and I asked about the cardigan. Again, I tried to say I was just offering context but I was fine either way and she actually TURNED HER BACK ON ME like I was just so horrible, she couldnt take it anymore. But do NOT blame yourself for this bullshit. Im sorry, but WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL? But, depending on the show and talking to the stage manager (or whomever is in charge) ahead of time and arranging it (if they are agreeable) would be the way to do it. Two hours Im heading into tech week of my own soon and I feeeeeel your pain. She blogs at, Theatrefolk Featured Play: Humbug High A Contemporary Christmas Carol by Lindsay Price. Now Im here to share it all with the world. What Happens When The Director Gets Sick? If you are totally unable to discern whether you are sick or feeling the effects of strain, continue as if. Taking care of your body is as important during tech week as it always is - possibly more so. And while youre at it, be sure to eat some food and drink some water. It shakes the entire bed. It wont ever make you feel better (as it didnt make my 19-y.o. Costume Nazis got her own way but well have everything we need, dont worry said another. On a less WTF note, my other daughter is the lead of the costume crew for the school musical starting up soon. An ancillary person was. Take your Vitamin C, but not too much or you might be on the toilet for longer than youd like to be. (Discuss with your director/music director so they dont think youre just slacking off.). ), Anything else necessary to maintain your health and safety. (As in, early in the day. By the time we were doing promotional photos, shed been back once (maybe twice, now that I think of it), and my dress was still missing the top button and I had no belt. VITAMIN WORLD Itll just look more polished, she said. It is something that appears in many shapes and forms. (LogOut/ The good news is that the injection they gave her worked and she is already scratching much less, and that injection should last for a month of relief. No. Its a week to throw the entirety of my energy squarely at two targets:put on a good showanddont kill yourself. The fact that no one is standing up to her on your behalf is ridiculous. ), Phone charger (preferably not your home charger, in case you forget it at the theater! So just drink a lot of water. In my theater, we can make it work for one day. Experiments with the tech will cause your schedule to overrun, and the likelihood of solidarity pints after leaving the theatre space is strong. Except for that if youre a performer and dancing or moving or sword fighting in Macbeth, you need more water because youre sweating. DUANE READE And the worst people Ive encountered this withwere in theater. WHOLE FOODS Once we finally got out of there, I took Licorice and her new arsenal of products home, then I had to run right back out for a mammogram! It can be an enriching experience, really getting into the nitty-gritty of what makes the show work, seeing all the work youve done come together with lighting changes, music, sets, and so on. Avoid coughing or clearing the throat as much as possible. Wellness Formula is a vitamin thats a blend of herbs and spices that boosts your immune system. xoxoxoxoxo). RALEYS Make sure you avoid the drowsy stuff if youre going for your packaged pharmaceuticals and, again, a good diet is vital during this period. Must finish reading this awesome post tomorrow since duty calls right now. To fix these problems before the audience has to see them. Avoid them as much as possible. FRED MEYER Give yourself a moment, close your eyes, focus on your breath. but totally forgot to make extra for Tech Week. But it does still need to have the buttons fixed before I can wear it. I was assured that everything would be taken care of. (LogOut/ Keep it going with natural sugars, fruit and veg, and your immune system will thank you too. This is a very well run, community theater. The good news is that IM A WIZARD and after some trial and error I did indeed strike upon a recipe and a method for creating (gluten-free, dairy-free) liver-looking pancakes. As of this posting, Emergen-C is available at the following retail locations: A & P No, sir, its called They call it a wet team because its bloody. Or, Tell Me Again Why I Thought I Liked Doing Theater? As I type this up right now, I am fighting off a cold, nearing the tech week of Macbeth. You know they saying about how real friends help you bury the body? Okay. KROGER I had no experience with painting techniques, but learned quickly (marbling, shading, bricks). Its the nature of the job. TRADER JOES Skipping out on tech rehearsals to go to a concert looks incredibly unprofessional and selfish. Assess singing habits (with the help of your vocal coach/music director, if possible) for damaging behaviors, and immediately seek to change them. Costume Nazi waved my question away, assuring me it wasnt a problem. It isalarminglycommon during tech week to hear complaints about sore, strained throats with no plan for restoring and maintaining vocal health. Lots of shows, so it is a very regular thing, with time off during the actual run of the shows. Want to find out more about our newest plays, resources and giveaways? Moms are only legally or morally allowed to get sick when there are eleventy-gajillion other things going on. LUCKY YOU! Also, follow-through is not my strong suit.]. This helps with a sore throat so tremendously; the salt will attack the virus, and it hurts much, much less! Imagine how someone wouldve reacted if I set her hair on fire. But, uh, I am still two missing two other costumes, and did you let her know that the apron she has me wearing doesnt have a big enough pocket? Were done talking, I guess. It also helps you get a handle on a key skill during tech week: patience. But in most other theaters I've worked in, no. I have a very detailed guide to drinking energy drinks pre-show in a healthy way here. Alcohol, coffee, and sugary beverages like energy drinks will dry out your throat even more. (1) I am seized with the impulse to custom order you a t-shirt that reads Im a special princess with whimsical pocket demands. [Not to worry, I wont, because my life is nearly as demanding as yours and Ive already gotten *my* amusement by imagining it. Ugh. Sometimes, it causes us to be unable to attend work or a social event that we had been planning on attending. BARTELL DRUGS Gah! The director though thinks shes working on Broadway instead of an award winning program at a Junior High. I bring in EVERY FUCKING CLOTH NAPKIN IN MY HOUSE to use as props because I am assured that the real required linens are coming and okay, we use paper towels at home in the meantime, because I am a team player. I run a roadhouse and all my crew are casual. Yeppeople like this are one reason Im a recovering actor. Especially if this is a paid gig, youre paid to be there. FITZWALLACE If it isn't medical, an emergency, or a family issue, you are more than likely going to be judged harshly, especially as new crew. STOP & SHOP Ive already gotten out of bed, made myself some tea, irrigated my nasal passages with saline (sexxxxxy), taken some of the good, meth-making kind of decongestant where you have to go to the pharmacy and hand over your license and a bag of magic beans, and whined to my husband about how much I hate everything. Such different circumstances, and yet so much the same feelings of frustration and overwhelm. *There is a dinner scene in this show requiring actual food. The sound tech told me Emergen-C is the best kept secret of the theatre world, so lets not let it be a secret anymore. MEIJER Costume Nazi is attempting to deflect the blame to you so that no one dare question why she hasnt done a better job. I can only assume all of her spare time is spent making voodoo dolls.). For sound cues, have your list of music and sound effects assembled way before tech week, so your sound designer has time to source/create the necessary tracks. Those of you in theater know what that means, of course, but if you are not a theater person, allow me to explain: Tech Week is the final week (already a misnomer, as a show generally opens on a Thursday or Friday, so not a full week) leading up to opening, and soin no particular orderit will involve most or all of the following: 1) Finishing the set in a mad scramble, if the set is not already finished (the set is never finished before Tech Week, dont be silly). Break a leg at your performances! To cap off this terrible, horrible, no good very bad week or run of days or WHATEVER that Im having when the show is days away from opening, yesterday it became clear that something I thought I was imagining was absolutely not my imagination. 4) Making sure everyone knows their lines. Obviously, I havent been taking them regularly, but now Im taking them to get rid of this monster! She shrugged and said she guessed so. This nearly 4,000-word screed is my attempt to evict her from my head. Keeping your cool pre-show is one thing. (FUN FACT: In the very first scene of this show, about five minutes in, I emerge from the kitchen with a roller skate, screaming at youngest son about how he obviously must want me dead, leaving such a thing on my kitchen floor. You dont have to like me, but if you have an issue with me, either discuss it like an adult or find a way to move past it and interact with a modicum of human decency. Im talking, of course, about getting sick while you are in the middle of a show. Give yourself a moment, close your eyes, focus on your breath. (Is this better or worse than when we fed Duncan kangaroos? If the show ran perfectly without you, what's the benefit to bringing you on again? Veterinary school includes entire curricula on wresting the most possible money out of pet owners because wook atta wittle babykins! Zinc is one of those minerals that cancels out when mixed with certain other minerals, so if you dont pay attention to the directions, youll be getting nothing for you money. Save your sanity and let your students know who the appropriate person is to handle each type of question. Click Here To Sign Up for the OnStage Blog Newsletter, Click Here To Sign Up for the OnStage Blog Newslette. VITAMIN COTTAGE KINNEY DRUGS So I thought I was imagining it that the woman doing our costuming cant stand me. If everyone is on the same page, then potential sparks of conflict can be immediately snuffed with the mutual understanding that its a difficult time. The kids left. STATER BROS. Do This, Not That: Tech Week Edition | Theatre Thoughts Blog, Light snacks (I always have an assortment of nuts and crackers, things which wont stain costumes! Everything will seem less catastrophic when youre sleeping properly, eating well, and still managing to get some exercise in between laying down an excess of glow tape. Sorry. Listen, Im no doctor. Jessica Ruth Bell for the high-vibe, ever-expanding actor. Stressing out for a long time will get you sick. Now I am down at the theater two mornings a week, during all build rotations, painting. Im always the one who says this behavior is not okay and everyone around me uncomfortably laughs it off because they know its true and then they change their behavior around me and act like a fucking decent human being or avoid me completely. Others are completely flexible, but there are so many variables nobody online will be able to answer for your specific situation. You've got to ask whoever hired you and work it out. If they ask you anyway, reply with, Who might know the answer to that question better than me? and let your students fill in the blanks. SAVON Its important to take care of yourself leading up to tech week, or you have no hope of getting through it at your best. But we can do everything right and still come across the (wretched) person who belongs to their problems. Having a kid in theater, you describe tech week so well! I know what you need a house guest to get under your feet and generally be in the way while youre sick and trying to open your show!!!!!!!! You may feel a little guilty at the prospect, or even feel like you havent the time, but the long-term positive effects of just chilling out whenever you can are immeasurable. A motley assortment of entertainment savings. Tech week is a test of patience. But maybe thats because its all unpaid (actors anyhow). Maybe she really IS a Nazi and knows youre ethnically speaking a Jew? Otherwise, you might just end up like me, and are forced to still give it your all in the show you are currently in, despite how you arent feeling anywhere close to well. And mostly I love this : Grownups working together suck it the fuck up and play nice. At what point did she decide that I was demanding/difficult/not worth common courtesy? Youre all on the same team, and the fires of hell week should only serve to bond you together further, rather than creating division within the ranks. Here are some tips regarding keeping your voice in the best possible shape during a strenuous production week: The most important take away from this section istake care of your voice. Is fun!! People are wretched human beings. When asked to come help build a set I always come and work on the set. BARTLET BASHAS In the meantime, illegitimus non carborundum. Oh, Costume Nazis prickly, thats just how she is someone whispered to me, when I asked about her after the first incident. Probably a dumb question so sorry in advance. Read on for four tips to help make your tech week a more positive experience! Let us also hope my other costumes show up! TARGET I totally get you as I sit in bed with fevered eyes and sinus pressure equivalent to a medieval head vice and read about someone like me instead of abstracted theories of political scientists. We do not live in a vacuum and the actions of others do impact us. But I am dragging my snot-encrusted self out thrifting later, anyway, just in case. Im going to be sick instead. Im a dweeb about tech week preparation, its true. If you can find an oasis of calm in these little breaks, rather than getting frustrated at the delays, youll be nice and balanced mentally and physically. The whole purpose of them being there is to contribute to the production and to learn, especially students in these roles! Now imagine how Costume Nazi wouldve reacted if I did BOTH of those things, and thats how she reacted when I said wearing a sweater might not make sense. It sounds either crude or gross or some combination of both. Orfails to costume one. Im happy to wear whatever she wants me in. If they can do a tech rehearsal without you, they can probably run the entire production without you and they might decide to do that. I have a sickness of the mind, and it is that I kind of get a kick out of tech week. Notice I said I let, because I know its on me that she got under my skin, and that is somehow the worst part. It turned out that she didnt have everything and I guess shes coming again Thursday, which, hey, no time like the absolute last minute, but OKAY! (If she is paid (ours is) then she is failing at her job.) Yah, that's pretty much what I was expecting. I stage managed for 5 years or so in community theatre. More than once, I discovered my mammogram stickers still on in the shower the next morning. Sometimes people do drop out of calls for various reasons and in that case with enough notice I will call someone else if available or fill the call myself. I would like to tell you that this is simply a minor and perplexing annoyance and I didnt let it get to me, but the reality is that Im sick and tired and I have invested an enormous amount of time, energy, and money in this production, not to mention having basically missed seeing my kids for the first time in a month and everything else thats happened lately; so I saw her do that, and I actually cried. They are working hard to learn everything as quickly and efficiently as possible. Mineral ascorbates are produced naturally by most animals (but not humans), yet when consumed regularly by humans serve as excellent transporters of Vitamin C to the over 70 trillion cells in the body. There is absolutely NOTHING (okay, MAYBE Im exaggerating a bit when I say that, but you get the idea) that could make an actors job harder than after to deal with a cough, sore throat or stuffy nose just as they are about to go out in front of an audience potentially with long monologues and major scenes for a full-scale performance. When someone behaves that miserably, I think jeez, whatevers happening in her life right now must be pretty awful. Do not feel guilty about delegating and depending on your point people. Aim for prevention of injury or illness, and if this fails, absolutely make recovery a priority. The future doesnt seem so scary when youre rooted in the present. Knowing that its on you how you respond to someone treating you like that does not, in fact, make it easy to let it go and not let it affect you. Tech week calls for an enormous amount of work to be executed within a very short amount of time. And, even more challenging, they are learning on their feet. This goes doubly so for vending machine 'meals.' [emailprotected], Drama Teacher Academy Support It just felt so unfair and arbitrary and nasty. It may seem silly to have to mention seemingly obvious tasks such as eating, hydrating, and getting fresh air, but it is so easy to neglect those things when your to-do list is a mile long.

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