Here on Long Island, theatre is a huge after-school activity. I've been apart of the community since I was at least 8 years old. Along the way I've learned some very important life lessons that everyone, theatre kid or not, should eventually learn.
1. Practice Makes Progress
There is no such thing as perfect! Everyone always has room to improve on their skills. Not everything will come easy to you, and it's so rewarding when you finally achieve what used to be a challenge. Setting goals for yourself is the best way to further your progress. Theatre kids do many things to improve their craft, such as vocal lessons, dance classes, acting classes, and workshops. Just because you have blonde hair doesn't automatically make you Elle Woods. You still need to work on your acting and vocals for the character. Work for what you strive to be!
2. You Don't Always Get What You Want
Rejection is apart of life, especially the life of a theatre kid. You can extensively prepare for an audition for your dream role, but that won't always land you the part. There's no way you'll be a perfect fit for every single part you audition for. For example, NYU can be your first choice college, but you need to go through an application process to get there and there is still no guarantee that you will be accepted. Also, if you don't get the role you desire it doesn't mean you didn't have the ability to portray it. It's all about what that specific creative team was looking for.
3. Stay On Your Toes
Sometimes things don't go as planned -- a line could be forgotten, an entrance can be missed, a costume can malfunction. It's our job as the actors to put the show back on track!
4. Believe In Yourself
When I first started theatre, I was shy and had little to no confidence. Over time, theatre helped me break out of my shell and I gained a great amount of confidence! With each show I was a part of, I gained more and more confidence in myself. I learned to trust myself and to know I was capable of performing the roles I had been given. Confidence is key. You can have loads of talent but you can't use it without confidence.
5. Not Everyone Is Going To Get Along
Majority of theatre kids can tell you many stories of incidents where cast members did not get along. It's a beautiful thing when a cast can go through the whole process without any drama besides on the stage. There's a huge difference between constructive criticism and flat out rude comments, as well as healthy and unhealthy competition. Theatre kids take their craft very seriously, so these lines can easily be crossed, and when they do watch out! How to deal with these conflicts is what I've learned through theatre. You have two choices on how to handle life's situations. Either get angry/mad/upset or calmly talk through the issue with the other person. The worst possible thing you could do is talk to everyone about your problem besides the person with whom you have it with. Talk it out and move on as one big happy cast!
6. Everyone Knows Everyone
In the Long Island Theatre community, everyone knows everyone somehow. Whether they were a director, choreographer, stage manager, costumer, actor, etc. it's likely they are known throughout the community. Especially with technology today, such as Facebook, it's easy to see what other theaters and fellow theatre people are doing. Making a good impression on anyone you meet is so important! You never know when you'll work with them again.
7. Live In The Moment
Enjoy what your doing in that moment, because once it's over, that moment becomes nothing more than a memory. Dance that number full out, put all your energy into that scene and take your bow. These are the little things you'll remember.
