My Pre-Show Routine

It's 6am on a Friday morning, the one day each school year you almost don't mind waking up early. It's opening night. After surviving what feels like the longest school day of your life, the time has come. You arrive at your house while it's still light outside for the first time in months and- well, what then?

1. Get the scary stuff out of the way

You have time, plenty of it. Although it may feel like there's so much to do and so little time, you're fine. So do some homework and take your time with it. Once it's done, if you're feeling a bit nervous, run the big dance number once in your backyard, or recite your monologue into a mirror. But don't overdo it. If you keep doing it again and again, you'll psych yourself out, and that's not good. 

2. Take some time to relax

Choose a good soap, tie your hair up, and take a bubble bath while listening to your favorite songs. Once the water turns cold, wrap yourself in a fluffy robe and brew some tea (personally, I love mint medley with 2 Splenda packets and some honey) while you just relax and enjoy calm before the storm. 

3. Prepare for the worst

It's time to get ready for everything and anything that could happen. Check your tights for any runs in them. Throw some sudafed and ibuprofen in your bag. Plug in the vaporizer or boil some water in a large pot. Take deep breaths and inhale the steam. Suck on a cough drop, it doesn't matter if you feel sick or not. Be ready for anything and everything to go wrong.

4. Get ready to leave

Before you leave, get some things out of the way. I always do my hair before I leave, just because of the lack of space in an average dressing room. Before I go I always slip on my tights and leotard, just to make things easier on myself. Slip on some spandex shorts and a t-shirt and you're ready to go. 

5. Make your way to the theater

Go for it. Stop at Star

bucks. Make sure your drink has no dairy in it. Hold the whipped cream, and no lattes. Go for a tea or refresher. Go ahead and blast your show's songs from the stereo, and always make sure you're there before call time. 

6. Makeup

Plug in your earbuds and try to stay calm while you do your makeup. Your first step should always be to moisturize your face. Personally, I use a CC cream instead of foundation. After you've done blush and any bronzer you'd like, remember to use setting powder to keep the makeup in place and stop your face from shining. Next, use some eyeliner on your lower lash line and mascara top and bottom. Use eyeshadow if appropriate for the show. Finally, on the lips, use more of a lipstick than a lip gloss, just to keep it more matte and less shiny under the lights. 

7. Warm up

Step into the hallway and do whatever stretches work for you. Make sure you're as flexible as you need to be for whatever you need to do in the show. Don't forget to warm up your voice, too. If your music director doesn't lead warm ups or doesn't go high enough for you, download a piano app on your phone and do your own. Make sure you're as ready as you need to be to put on this show. 

8. Zip up

Put on your costume. Make sure there are no rips or loose buttons. Make sure you are wearing it correctly and then make sure everything you need for the show is set. Put on your shoes and apply hairspray to the bottoms to avoid slipping onstage. Grab your mic and have someone help you with the tape. 

9. Perform

Dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening, and most of all, have fun no matter what happens. 

10. After the show

Go out to eat with your cast and enjoy yourself. When you get home, take a nice long shower, wash your face and hair well, and get plenty of sleep. You get to sleep in as late as you need to. Get yourself ready for another fantastic show!

•do theatre, not drama•

-Sierra 

The view from here is pretty

What is it about an empty stage that calls a desperate performer? The energy an actor feels when standing on the apron of a stage is enough to overcome anything else. No matter how bad your show may be, or how stressed you are from tech week, or how evil your dance captain is being about nailing that stupid left pirouette that you fall out of every night, that's why you do it. For the adrenaline you feel when you stand there onstage. 

There's two different, but equally beautiful circumstances for the perfect view onstage. The first- a full house. Personally, I love the moment when you first walk onstage and can steal a glimpse of the audience for only a moment. You look at all those faces and just think, wow, all these people are here to watch me. Yeah, maybe not particularly you, but look at all the people who paid money to come see you onstage.

There's always a moment in each show. You know the moment, the one you've been waiting for. The impressive synchronized dance sequence in the opening number, the tight harmonies by the ensemble during the main ballad, the cool dynamic full cast involvement in the act one closer. That moment where you're just hoping that the audience will love. You wonder what they're thinking. You think the critics will love this. Or my friends will think this is so cool. That moment you look forward to in a show, and, even though from where you're standing, you can't make out faces, you can just picture 500 wide eyed smiles sitting in front of you. 

If that doesn't just excite you, I don't know what does. 

Of course, although us extroverted theatre people love the energy we get from a full house, a completely empty theater can be one of the most beautiful things in the world. There's so much potential sitting on an empty stage in an empty house. I can't help but think of all the people who have been so happy sitting in those chairs and how many people will be made happy there later. The amount of eternal happiness in one room is overwhelming. 

If you ever find yourself alone in a theater, pause, breathe, take a moment to feel the energy in the room, the positivity that lies behind and ahead. Appreciate the amazing art that has happened in one place, and think of the beautiful magic that has yet to happen on the stage you're standing on. 

The places I've performed never cease to amaze me. I'm still in awe of the history I where I've stood. Next time you're in a theater, just stop, breathe, and appreciate. 

The view from onstage at the National Theatre in Washington DC, which I visited during theater week DC. The stage is home to pre-broadway runs such as If/Then. 

I hope you all liked my first post here as an actor problems blogger! My name is Sierra and I'm psyched to be part of the team. Find me on twitter @SoundOfSierra and please let me know if there's anything you'd like me to blog about. Have a great day! 

•do theatre, not drama•

-Sierra 

Why I Hate Wicked

Wicked is probably one of the most popular shows that has ever been preformed. Not only is the original cast legendary, but there are instagram accounts dedicated to them. I find the whole notion ridiculous. So here are more reason for my explanation of why I hate Wicked.

I didn't always hate the show. I was like every other little theatre kid who one day wanted to be Elphaba/Galinda/Fiyero. But that's just it. Wicked is a kid show. The target audience are those little ones who have just read or seen The Wizard of Oz and want to show this prequel to their children. So these kids grow up thinking that they too can be one of the characters one day. Cough cough, sorry kids, cough cough.

Let me take a second to discuss the book before going back to the musical. The book by the same name is most likely the most repulsive thing I have ever read. I advise any Wicked fan or theatre geek or anyone in general to never read this book. The book is dull, disgusting, and all together poorly written. How anyone read it and thought to make a musical out of it is beyond me.

Okay, back to the musical. Everyone has a show that they just don't like. Some don't like straight plays, some don't like anything by Webber, and some don't like shows with film or tv celebrities in them. Wicked happens to be the show that I just dislike, among a few others.

Let's get on to the technical aspects I don't like. The show is all spectacle and no substance. The plot line is shallow and so common. There never seems to be that much heart in the show besides the basic themes of love and friendship that is in nearly all shows.

Nessarose. If there is a character I hate more, they are not coming to mind. Just an udder of her name makes me mad. Who does she think she is? Why is she so special? I'm glad everyone hates her in the end. She's just a spoiled brat in my opinion.

At every audition, there is always someone who wants to sing something from Wicked. The music is so overdone that nobody wants to hear it anymore, which is a shame. Even though I find the music generic and too dramatic, it goes along with the show.

My heart belongs to old Broadway (Bring in Cosmo and the ensemble). The 20's was a time rich with fantastic pieces that capture my soul every time. I think that Wicked is just too contemporary for me. I would rather have to wait through two intermissions than too much of pop-y type music. I'm in all my glory right now as I'm currently in You Can't Take It With You as Mrs. Kirby.

The show may seem all frilly and cutesy, but it lacks real life connection that show needs now of days to continue to be popular. I feel like in ten years, Wicked won't be all that amazing as people now think it is. But that's just me.

Tell me what you think? Do you like Wicked, or do you agree? Comment below or ask us on Twitter.

Break legs,
Kendall

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Shows to Get Into the Autumn Mood

Every year, it comes around to the beautiful time of falling leaves, and 

Legally Blonde
Bring bring! It's back to school, and who else would you want to go with than your best friend Elle Woods and her prettier than pink personality? Head back to class with your head in the clouds and a little dog in your purse.

Into the Woods
Who's afraid of, well, just about anything? With the movie coming out, it's time to relive the twistedness of your favorite childhood stories.

Big Fish
Edward Bloom's incredible stories frustrate his son Will, but he soon faces his own adventures has his father's stories unfold in front of him, discovering the truth behind his father's tall tales.

Once
Walk the streets to the sound of music and maybe fall in love. Spend a week with a guy and a girl was they find out for themselves.

Cripple of Inishmann 
This is the big break for anyone in west Ireland. On little islands, people stir and fritter to be able to have just a second of fame, including Cripple Billy.

Next to Normal
Just what is normal? Hardening anxiety? Devastating depression? A risky show with a tremendous pay off, come see how normal hides secrets in a suburban household.

Beauty and the Beast
Autumn is known for adventure, so why not seek it in France? Join Belle as she travels through an enchanted castle, a fantasy only ever in her books, and learns a tattered cover holds the best kind of book.

Of Mice and Men
Come back in time to America's hardship of the Great Depression with George and Lennie in their search for work out in California. 

The Addams Family 
The Addams family is put to the test when outsiders come to dinner, hurling Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandmama and Lurch headlong into a night that will change the family forever.

To Kill a Mockingbird
How old does one have to be to realize the unjust in the world? Scout finds that her own town in subject to deep racism when her father defends a black man accused of raping a white girl.

Pippin
Join the cast as they put on an impressive show of self discovery and self worth. (See our other article all about this show!)

Wicked
Is there another show that reminds us more of the Halloween spirit? A prequel to the beloved Wizard of Oz, Wicked follows the story of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her unlikely friendship with Galinda, the Good Witch of the North.


Sorry this is kind of late! Rehearsals until 9 pm aren't exactly my forte. But this one I thought was a little more fun.
Again, comment below or on Twitter if you have any questions, comments, or a show you would like to add to the list!
Break a leg,

Kendall

How do I make a career out of theatre?

As theatre nerds, we get this question too many time to count. From our parents, teachers, and friends, people always ask us how we are going to make a career out of theatre. And to be honest, sometimes we can’t really answer that. Theatre is such a risky work field that the chances of success are pretty darn slim. Not meaning to sound rude or mean, but it’s true. And people on Broadway will tell you the exact same thing. I’m going to hopefully answer some of these questions that you may have or even help you answer the questions your parents ask when you tell them you want to move to New York. But first, let’s go through some steps of what you can do to better your chances of making it big on the Great White Way.

1.       EDUCATION IS KEY

I am not saying you aren’t talented. I am not saying that you need improvement. Again, my advice comes from my teachers and professionals who I’ve heard say this a gajillion times before. We all need classes. Whether that be a theatre class in high school, or a voice teacher as you star in a show on Broadway, we can always, always, ALWAYS improve. My genuine advice? Go to college. Get a degree in theatre. Because I promise you this, it gives you the edge over those who just went straight to NYC after high school. Who would you rather hire? That’s the question you want to answer. There are so many great schools out there that can give you a phenomenal education and it will definitely strengthen your resume. Look at all the schools. Some state school are better than straight theatre conservatories, and some New York based schools are better than schools that are out of state. I am a sophomore at a state school studying theatre, and I can honestly say, we are better at getting the students professional jobs than some New York schools. Also, we mix up our productions and who we cast. No one is played a favorite and almost every student gets at least one lead role. That sort of thing is hard to find in colleges. So research the schools. Talk to current students and find out what they did to get to where they are now.

2.       CONNECTIONS ARE IMPORTANT

Whether it’s friending the cast members that you just saw in a show on Facebook or just through the director of a show you were in, connections are sooooooooo important in the theatre world. I did a show recently and I was only cast because I friended the director on Facebook after seeing him in a show. He posted that he needed male dancers, and I quickly responded. After we did the show, he invited me to come work the next summer for a PAID position. Take advantage of the opportunities that theatre gives you! I’m not saying you have to brown nose your way to the top, but be polite and respectful and most of all, yourself. So go ahead and start making your mark! Make those connections so you can start building that resume!

3.       DON’T UNDERVALUE OPPORTUNITIES

Please look at all opportunities equally when looking for acting jobs. Whether it just be a high school production or you’re starting to get Equity points, the connections and the experience should be worth it. Don’t worry about how little the part is that you might get. I have loved doing ensemble work in the past just as much as getting lead roles. Take every single role you get with gusto and be happy with the chance that you get to perform! When you’re in New York, you take anything you get, whether it be just a reading or a big part in a workshop. Get used to taking what you get, y’all.

That’s about it, folks! Feel free to ask any questions about finding a college or talking about the college where I go, cause mine’s pretty freakin’ sweet. Have fun looking at careers in theatre!

Andrew

Dealing With Your Cast

For a few months, your cast mates turn into your family. Just like with any other family, there are those who will get on your nerves, but you shouldn't let these people destroy your experience, especially if this is your first show. Here are just a few types of people you might meet.

Younger Cast
This is usually in a show where the ages range, or a whole cast of just kids, such as in a youth theatre. Younger cast, primarily elementary school age, can be chaotic. They are less likely to focus and tend to make the rehearsal atmosphere more tense. If you have to work with younger children, the best is to be patient and keep the rehearsals from getting monotonous.

Older Cast
Just as there can be kids, you can have a much older cast as well. There are many different types of the people who make up the older cast. The first is the bitter seniors, who probably have done theatre a long time and don't want to deal with inconveniences. You also have the really jolly ones, who are very sweet, but I've noticed that they can be a little scattered brained and could need your extra help.

People Who Went To College For This
More than once you'll come across an theatre major in a community theatre, and they may correct you or try to give you advice on what you're doing, especially if you're still in primary or secondary school. Don't take what they say as an offense. It's kind of like when you're teacher tells how to reword a sentence to make it more effective. Not completely change it, but rework it to make it better.

Techies
Love your techies. If actors are the meat to a show, techies are the skeleton. Depending on the show, they could be in a million places at once, so if someone isn't right there to take your prop, simply wait or set it down on the prop table yourself. Many actors get there start as techies to get the feel of theatre, so be kind and support them as well.

Frenemies
Ego and drama end at the door. Don't bring any hate or intolerance of anyone into a rehearsal space. The negative energy brings the entire cast down without you realizing. Ignoring someone you have a problem with isn't always the easiest, but it can keep the tension down. Don't try to push anybody's buttons, because if it becomes too much, you are someone else could be asked to leave the show.

Directors/Choreographers/Stage Managers
So we have the meat and the skeleton, and these people are like the nerve endings. A signal from the brain, or the director, goes through the others and eventually ends up to the cast and crew. Follow any demands without question, because if you are asked, it must be done to keep moving forward, in the production.

Every cast is different, so not all the techniques used to get along with people will work each time. Always remember this: theatre brings people together, but drama tears people apart.

Sorry that this was a little late, I've been hammered with so much work and hope to get back on track very soon. As anytime before, you can always ask us questions or leave your comments. You can find me personally on twitter with @Kendall_Shepard if you would like to reach me there. Until next time, good luck.

Kendall

Spotlight: The Last 5 Years

Guys. One of my favorite shows of all time is finally coming to the screen after YEARS of waiting. Words cannot express my excitement! For those of you who do not know, I would like to take a moment to really talk about this unique show, and what you can expect from the film.

The plot is centered on one couple, two people, and their 5 year relationship. Jamie’s perspective is told from beginning to end, while Cathy’s perspective starts at the end and works backwards til they meet in the middle at their wedding. This story is partly based on Jason Robert Brown’s own relationship with his ex-wife.

In 2001, Jason Robert Brown premiered The Last 5 Years in Chicago with Norbert Leo Butz (Catch Me If You Can, Wicked) as Jamie and Lauren Kennedy as Cathy, but Kennedy was replaced by Sherie Rene Scott due to scheduling conflicts. The production ran for two months before transferring to Off-Broadway with the same cast, where it ran for an additional two months. An Off-Broadway revival with Adam Kantor (Rent) and Betsy Wolfe (Bullets Over Broadway) was staged in 2013 where it ran for a limited engagement.

A film had always been in development, but it was only confirmed 2013 when it finally got a director, Richard LaGravenese, and a cast, Jeremy Jordan (SMASH, Newsies) as Jamie and Anna Kendrick (pitch Perfect, Up in the Air). The project was filmed independently and it has just been screened at the Toronto Film Festival. It has also just been announced that RADiUS has picked up the film as the production company and it is now slated to open in theaters everywhere next Valentine’s Day.

Intrigued? Good! I love this casting for the film, and I have high hopes. I love both of the stars and they are flawless. Don't believe me?

Here’s a recently released clip of Anna Kendrick belting “I Can Do Better Than That”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtG2DJnLBEk

And if you want to see Jeremy Jordan singing some Last 5 Years, check him out singing “Moving Too Fast” at a concert. He officially starts at 2:43.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuXzprnappg

Well, short article! But it’s a short show! Please get to know this show because the plot is so real and the music is unreal. Hope y’all enjoyed this! Like always, comment below or find me on the twitter! Have a great week!

Andrew