Theater people know it well. The opening of a show is full of jitters, nerves, and overall relief at a job well done. But that's opening night. The week before open, or "tech week" is similar to the worst week ever, fraught with stops and starts, late nights, and everyone scrambling to finish. With everyone's minds racing from academics to arts, thoughts are wild and frantic.
1. "Yay, it's tech week!"
The optimism of the hard work everyone has put in will be fine, the show will go on.
2. "But what if they're not ready?"
Everyone second-guesses preparation, even though everyone involved is confident and determined.
3. "Why is everything moving so slowly?"
With frequently pausing to fix technical logistics, the show seems full of stumbling, and it seems to throw people off.
4. "Did I work hard enough?"
Everyone wants everything to be perfect, and keeps hoping but is nervous about whether they worked their hardest.
5. "We open in HOW MANY DAYS?"
Shows always seem to pop up when they're least expected.
6. "When did I last eat?"
The stress of tech week either renders you hardly eating because of how busy you are, or making frequent trips to the nearby vending machine.
7. "I hope this all works out!"
The stress of open drives everyone involved insane; wanting everything to be perfect drives everyone into a frenzy.
8. "What if something goes wrong?"
Tech week is a time for the lights, sound, and other technical aspects of the show to work with the actual content, and sometimes adjustments can be difficult in the process.
9. "I hope people come to the show"
All people involved in the show crave an audience, and hoping that people will attend is a cause of excitement and stress. So, you are probably inviting all of your Facebook friends to the event.
10. "Well, the show must go on, and we've put a lot of work in."
Shows always, always pull together at the end, and the hard work always pays off.
Theatre is one of the most exciting, fun experiences one can have, and even though sometimes it seems like more of a stressor than a cause for joy, the hard work and tenacity everyone puts in shows!
