When it comes to the week before opening night for theater, it is long, tiresome, and it is hard. Long hours on the stage, costume changes for the first time, crew running around just trying to figure what is going on. It is difficult. It is one of the longest weeks for any person that is involved in theater. The no sleep, the stress, the fear that you will make a mistake to ruin things, it can be scary. Though no matter the stress, no matter the amount of time and tears and sweat that goes into the play, it can also be one of the best weeks. Here are a few things that everyone can relate to when it comes to tech weeks.
1. You really are not fully prepared.
Everyone is coming together for the first time. It can be difficult. All the props are finally together, the costumes are finally done, and the director is somewhere, but nowhere to be found. It is rough. It is almost as if the week was never meant for anybody, but there are times where you question yourself time and time again about why you put yourself through the pain, but at the end of the week you realize it was not all for nothing and that you would only do it over again for the next show.
2. So many snacks off stage, but not eating in costume.
Do not eat or drink in costume unless it is water or has a cap. If not, don't even think about it. All the snacks that are sitting on a table, there is no touching. The moment that the costume designer sees you with any food in your hand, they will not be happy. You either go hungry or risk being caught and not having a talk. As the actor, your life is more important than risking it all.
3. If you are late during tech week, the director can and will use your head as a prop.
You learn to never piss off the director. Anything can lead to using your head as a prop. They will never be afraid to do it. Directors do not play around to when it comes to getting things done. Do not test them.
4. The emotional and mental breakdown.
If you do not feel like your breaking down emotionally and mentally, then you might have it better together than the rest of us. Tech week is stressful because, on top of the play, we go back home to do other responsibilities such as homework and it can get stressful. It is hard to not just want and break down each time but you somehow pull yourself together at the end of the week.
5. You do not know the term of sleep.
You are so busy in the theatre, you often forget what sleep really is! Even when you aren't practicing on stage, you are practicing in your room and hoping that you do not forget or mess up when it is time to do it for real.
6. Even after the stress, the tears, and countless hours, your one big happy family.
You become part of one big family when you are in theater. You see each other each and every day. Day in and day out. You eventually become close with everyone. There are memories that you will never forget. There are even inside jokes that no one else besides those in the theater will ever get. There is an understanding when you get saying lines, even after the play is over with. You become even closer during tech week due to always being near each other. After long hours every night with each other, you become super close. No one else will understand.
Even if tech week is long and hard, even stressful, you do it all over again. Even at the end of the week, after you get tired and keep telling yourself that you will never do it again, you end up doing it again. Time and time again you go through tech week. It is a never ending love and hate. Though after it is all over with, you do miss it.
