There are many different kinds of people in this world, but there is a special kind of people who most people do not understand -- Theatre People. We always have this strange, mysterious aura that can often be mistaken for arrogance or bad attitude, but as theatre people, there are a few things that only we can understand. With the help of some of my Facebook friends, I came up with a few.
1. When you thought you had a week to get off book and you realize that you only have a day.
Submitted by Gabbie Castiglia
2. When you have so much stage makeup but still never have the right colors for the show.
Submitted by Maria Derenzo
Everyone wants something different. Your makeup kit is never enough - even when it has three different colors of foundation.
3. “Props are like your private parts; don’t touch them unless they are yours”
Submitted by Nicholas Goodman and Maegan Kenney
“If you touch a prop that isn’t yours, you’re good as dead” -- a typical announcement every time props are introduced. Nothing is worse than having a prop get broken when it wasn’t supposed to be touched. An unhappy props master is a cast’s worst nightmare.
4. Literally everyone begging the director to end rehearsal early so we can all get home on time for "Glee."
Submitted by Julia Tepfenhart
Practically every theatre person loved "Glee." If you didn’t watch it live, you couldn’t go on social media, because it would be filled with spoilers. So, any chance that you got to get out of rehearsal early was a blessing.
5. When the entire show looks like a train wreck on Thursday during dress rehearsal, but always goes perfectly on opening night.
Submitted by Hailey Thompson
It seems like every show has this phenomena. But somehow, everything is perfect in the end. The best part is the fact that the audience congratulates you up and down the block, but they will never understand how the week leading up to the show went down.
6. Responding with “thank you” in a theatrical way.
Submitted by Kirsten Johnson
Endless rehearsals have taught you to say thank you to everything. Including when your waitress tells your food will be out in five minutes and you say “Thank you, Five.”
7. Wearing a three foot tall broom handle as a hat and having to hold a high C for 16 measures while doing a kickline.
Submitted by Nikky Williams
Sometimes, in order to make the magic that is theatre, you have to be creative. Sometimes you have to wear a broom handle on your head. Sometimes you have to wear pool noodles for legs and a backpack for your cape. To continue making magic, you sometimes have to make the most complicated moves and notes appear seamless.
8. There are two types of theatre people. Those who do it for the art, and those who do it for the attention.
Submitted by Megan Hickey
As a devoted theatre person, you just hate it when you see the people who don’t really care about theatre and are doing it for all of the wrong reasons.
9. Glitter is stage herpes; it spreads fast and never goes away.
Submitted by Taylor Hamer
Glitter is so terrible. It is every tech crew’s worst nightmare and will forever be stuck to every surface of the theatre.
10. When someone says a word or phrase that is a part of lines you’ve memorized, so you involuntarily finish it.
Submitted by Khari Constantine
Whether or not it was a line you liked, some words and phrases will forever have a different meaning after the show.
11. Being the Assistant to the Director, Props Master, Stage Manager and Deck Crew all during the same show.
Sometimes if you are doing a show that isn’t too technical, you can find yourself assuming many different roles. But being well rounded is a good thing. Running around like a chicken with your head cut off builds character.
12. Being able to get ready for the day in 10 minutes because mastering the art of quick changes has changed your life.
Submitted by Kate Salmonsen
Learning how to do quick changes is one of the most valuable skills you can learn from doing theatre. After you have had to go offstage in one costume and instantly come back on stage in another one, changing quickly is a breeze.
13. The lingering smell of the theater.
Submitted by Morgan Noone
For some reason, theaters just have a specific smell. Whether or not the smell is good, it makes you feel at home.
14. Becoming better friends with cast members in six weeks then you have with school mates in 10 years.
Submitted by Rachel Leotta
Being in a show creates a bond that is undeniably the greatest bond one can make. These are the people you will remember for the rest of your life, and will be there for you whenever you need help... like when you need help writing an article about theatre.
15. If it is from the stage manager, it’s helpful. If it is from anyone else, it’s criticism.
Submitted by Julia Preston-Fulton
The stage manager is irrefutably the most important person in the entire show. They are the one person that can keep their cool through times of turmoil. You know that no matter how blunt their advice is, they know what is best.
16. Backing up to somebody is a universal sign for “zip me up.”
Submitted by Caitlyn McAfee
When you are in a show, your cast mates are your team mates. You help each other out, especially when the zipper is on your back and you can’t reach it.
17. When you’ve just finished a show and think you want a break, but then you see someone else perform and it suddenly awakens a performance craving.
Submitted by Sophie Child
After every single show you think, “Wow this is so much hard work, I need a break” We’ve all taken hiatuses, but then realized that we missed it so much and we need to come back.
18. Mic Tape Hickeys
Submitted by Abby Field
Microphone tape is horrible. It hurts to take off and leaves marks for days. When you walk through school or work, everyone gives you the strangest looks because you have square shaped black marks on your neck and cheek.
19. Seeing the lights going in and being tested out and feeling a strong urge to stand center stage in the brightest lights because you are a star in your heart.
Submitted by Rachel Ruller.
Everyone likes to have their diva moment in the spotlight, and they use this as the perfect opportunity to achieve their diva dreams.
20. The awkward tension during rehearsal when you aren’t sure if you should practice the stage kiss yet, so you just high five.
Submitted by Kaitlyn Kinney
Stage kisses can be horrific. If you don’t like them, then you don’t even want to go anywhere near them. But if you are friends, then you just feel weird having to kiss them. Usually it is a lose/lose situation.
21. Belting over the trumpet section.
Submitted by Jeremy Herlowski
Trumpets can be loud. So. Loud. So sometimes even with a microphone you can’t be heard over their volume. You try your hardest, but it doesn’t always work.
22. When you take on too many shows at once and your directors hate you.
Passive-agressively hinted at by Mo Bandla
Sometimes you may think, “Wow, I love theatre! Since I love theatre so much I should do as much theatre as I possibly can!” That is the worst idea. Having been in five shows at once, I can tell you it is impossible to do so many shows at one time.
23. “It’s a mic, not a miracle.”
Submitted by T.J. Bandla
I really don't think anything needs to be said about this one.
24. When your character shoes aren’t broken in, but you have to dance the opening number to "A Chorus Line" anyway.
Submitted by Ceara Windhausen
Oh boy, the dreaded character shoe. One of the most common mistakes is buying new shoes right before a show, and then you have to do the entire show with shoes that are way too rigid and uncomfortable.
25. When the costumer finds out there is a wardrobe malfunction, and they run like hell to see what the problem is.
Submitted by Marie Cuyler Sterphone
Every costume designer’s worst nightmare, a wardrobe malfunction. Of course, they always happen at the most inconvenient time. But everything always works out and a temporary fix is made until it can be fixed permanently.
26. There are reasons to have unlubed condoms handy.
Submitted by Kara Swindells
A stage manager’s kit is always filled with very strange things. These include, but are not limited to, unlubed condoms for mic packs and medicine for actors.
27. Finally trying out doing technical work and then having to be in the show.
All but one time I have done any theatrical tech work, I have ended up being in the show. Especially when you are an assistant director or assistant stage manager, you are the first person to be thrown into a show when someone quits last minute.
28. When you are completely unphased by someone stripping in front of you because they have 30 seconds to do a quick change.
Submitted by Monica George
After doing theatre for a long enough time, you stop caring about where you get naked or when you see people naked. There is no point in wasting time waiting for the dressing room when you can get changed directly off stage or in a hallway
29. When non theatre people think the newest adaption of a musical is the original.
Submitted by Wyatt Gilbert
Because, you know every little fact about all of your favorite show, it can be annoying when people assume that the newest version of a show is the original. No, Carrie Underwood is not the original Maria. It was Julie Andrews. Don’t mess with Julie Andrews.
30. When you started theatre late in life and you feel inferior because everyone else you know has been doing it since they were born.
Submitted by Erin Geraghty
Chin up! No matter how experienced everyone is, you are still a part of a big family that always has each other’s backs.
