how do you prepare for the evening's performance?

OK - my turn to ask a question of actors, directors & techies of all varieties - how do you prepare for the evening's performance? I tend to have a light, not too garlicky dinner, then prepare my ever-present travel mug of coffee & head to the theatre as early as practicable. I find music that suits my character - often look for a "theme song" to get me in the right mood for my character. This time it might be something by the Kinks, but still deciding. Singing in the car is warmup part one. If the show is a musical, there will of course be a fair bit more vocal exercises. Get to theatre; dump my gear; check/set my props/costume. Tooth brushing, enough costume for decency, warmup (see below) then makeup/hair, if I can do it in that order. I like to be ready early enough for last-minute disasters. Then I go around stashing my water bottle(s) here & there for easy access backstage. I enjoy group warmups that are to do with pace/group intuition, but on my own I like to do at least a little light stretching/relaxing excercises & go through my moves onstage, walking my way into character. I like to do a familiar speech (not necessarily from the current show) & work on projection & breathing. Depending on the physicality of my role I might get into a bit more of a physical warmup as well. Think that's roughly it. Might change a bit this time - we'll see... What's your routine?

Turn up 10 minutes past the call time just to see the stage manager panic a little, unpack the tipple of choice, pour a glass as a steadier, drink said glass, realise you haven't shaved or combed hair prior to leaving home, panic that you've left the white shirt that forms part of your costume at home on the spare bed, check bag, realise you HAVE left white shirt that forms part of your costume on spare bed, pour second steadier, drink second steadier, phone girlfriend and plead with her to pop round your house, pick up white shirt and drop to theatre, make mental note as you hang up that you've promised her dinner for carrying out this task, work on excuses as to why dinner this week is just out of the question, learn lines, break wind loudly, pour third glass, hide glass as stage manager appears from nowhere to announce half hour call, drink third glass, despair that you only bought the one bottle, greet Martin as he arrives, join with Martin in celebration that he bought a bottle along as well, celebrate with fourth glass, struggle to recall what play you are appearing in tonight, seek clarification from bemused fellow cast, borrow script and start revising, remember suddenly you've also forgotten your shoes for the fourth scene of act 2, phone girlfriend who is halfway to theatre and beg her to return home for said shoes, stifle giggle as fellow actors start their voice exercises, contemplate fifth glass but then again we don't want to go silly....there are two acts in this play after all, state your opinion that Pinter is brilliant so why the hell are we doing a Derek Benfield, eat all the snacks....ALL THE SNACKS!!!!, suggest that this evening it is your intent to do all your lines in a scottish accent in the style of a supervillain and that all lines will end with the statement "Mr Bond!!", hide fellow actors toothpaste in her offstage clothing.....with the cap off, convince Martin there is such a phrase as "One for the stage" and have fifth glass of wine, run and hide in toilet as stage manager asks for starters of which you're one. Okay, I lie. I turn up, look at lines, confidently state "I'll never screw that passage up", pace a bit, then walk on stage and screw up the passage I was never going to screw up.

Generally - a fairly early light dinner. Nothing like grabbing a burger on the way to the theatre to put you off your game. Stay away from the after-work beers. Get there in plenty of time. Check costumes/props are all in place. I like a bit of quiet time before I go on. Not a fan of a big noisy dressing room. If I'm teching, I like to run my sound/light to check levels, that everything is working. No nasty surprises when the curtain goes up. You never know if someone has been in fiddling with knobs. www.meltheco.org.au

Toothpaste? In the bag? That's just evil! I like to rock up, get dressed, crack innapropriate jokes, maybe slide in a little oversharing, talk back stage while the stage managers glares at me, then just walk on and do the part. I usually eat as well. Lot's. During, before, and after the show. Sometimes I talk so much I forget to come on for a whole entire scene during the dress rehearsal...maybe next show I'll try practicing the mysterious art of 'focusing.'

I generally arrive 30minutes before call time. I sit on stage and spend some time meditating on my performance. I put my costume on, I warm up physically, vocally and mentally. I make sure I drink lots of water while doing this. The cast generally arrives as I'm in the last ten minutes of warming up. I then spend alot of time walking around and singing whatever comes into my head. I then participate in cast warm up and then re-focus on what I need to achieve in that evenings performance.

I didn't even know how much. Always a fan of LOLA of course & Girl You Really Got Me Now, but I just bought this CD as part of my 60's pre- Get Smart mood enhancing music collection & was amazed at how many of their "other" songs I also know & love. 99 may be rockin' out in the car to them, Donovan or a general 60's summer mix CD, as the mood hits her & me...

too funny! Hope most of that didn't actually happen last night ;-)

I rarely eat dinner before a show. That's one thing.

"Waterloo Sunset" - one of the best songs written by an englishman....er,about english things really

These days I'm usually a tech or a director. As a director I see my job as keeping the hell out of the way of the actors and techies, so I do. I usually run FOH so I'm there if anyone needs to vent at or to me. As a techie, I get there 90 minutes before curtain check all my lights, do a sound check (even if it's just playback.) and cast my eyes over any problem spots from the night before. Then I find a cuppa and like Tim indulge and just make sure everyone knows I'm ready and available. Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing. www.tonymoore.id.au

I didn't even realise that was one of theirs, but it is really sweet.

We had the tipple after the show, I WAS approx 10 minutes late, we did arse about in rehearsing and Shakespeare sounds much funnier done as a bond villain e.g "I would I had your bond (James Bond) for I perceive a weak bond (James Bond) holds you. I'll not trust your word....Mr Bond" or "Cry havoc, and let loose the dogs of war...Mr Bond". I think it could work - take selected lines from Shakespeares plays and turn them into a bond script for stage. Anyway, I digress - Melissa loves doing vocal warm-ups which amuses the hell out of me - for an actor I'm far too self conscious to do such things, even in the company of those who shouldn't care. I've never hidden a fellow actors gear as a jape but I'm tempted to hide Wade Ellis's trousers so that he is forced to wear that dress home. Having observed the people in my show, most are punctual - myself being a little tardy and Mr Lindsay being pointedly late, and the majority ready themselves by either getting made up or pacing nervously and perhaps going over lines. I'm sort of with Tim on this - although I do go over lines before performance, I suspect it does more harm than good. Of all our cast, Murali who plays Othello is the most disciplined. He is usually the first one made-up and in costume and he meditates or does yoga to centre himself before going onstage. Unsurprisedly he gives a very powerful performance - perhaps the stand-out of our production. Having said that, I'm there to enjoy myself and interracting with fellow cast is a great way of doing that and for me it calms any nerves.

Have only a few dry crackers for dinner. Go to toilet. Abuse poor family who don't understand "I'm in the zone, man". Pack costume and props three times. Check lists. Go to toilet. Drive to theatre, either listening to "happy place" music or repeating lines, stopping on way to go to toilet. Arrive, unpack and abuse poor fellow actors who don't understand "I'm in the zone, man." Go to toilet. Make up. Dress in costume. Go to toilet. Find quiet place in corner to pace and freak out. Go to toilet. Walk on stage and spend the next 90 minutes wishing I could go to the toilet. Seriously, the only real routines I have are listening to some favourite music (to get me into whichever particular mood my character requires) and finding some quiet time to calm the nerves before I go on. And going to the toilet. Music this time around - Status Quo, Sweet, Rolling Stones & KISS. And I'm taking a week off work to make sure I'm properly rested for the opening week, and have easy access to a toilet. Lee "86" Sheppard

I generally like to get to the theatre at least 2 hours before curtain up - I like to think I'm attuning my energy to the theatre but it's probably more a case of maximising the time I have to socialise before getting down to business :) I will usually belt out a few songs in the car on the way which is a truly awful way to "ease the voice in" but it's fun, so I don't really care. Plus, I will undoubtedly smoke about 5 or 6 cigarettes before curtain up so whatever advantage I may have gained from a sensible vocal warm up would get destroyed anyway. I delay getting into costume/make-up for as long as possible so that I can maximise the energy boost I get from those things. I like to have the energy right up for curtain up as I find if I hit my first scene strongly the rest of the show will fall into place. I ALWAYS join in the whole cast warm-ups. More of that attuning stuff I was talking about - except this time it's about attuning myself to the ensemble. I like to think of my fellow cast and crew as a family and the warm-ups work as the family get together. Plus, most of the shows I've ever worked on the director/choreographer/MD like to give a few notes (even if it's just to say chookas for that show) at the end of the warm-up. I do try and find 10 minutes just before curtain up to sit quietly in my own little corner and focus - thinking about who I am about to be and the journey that I have ahead of me. I remind myself that I'm making the journey anew - I think it's important to approach each performance as if it's the first time I've done the show so that the audience gets a fresh performance. And I also try and channel the ever present nerves into energy for the performance. And last (but definitely not least) I do a walk around and share hugs and well wishes with the crew and cast :) DazzaB "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." Scott Adams

1. Get to venue 2. Put on costume 3. Act 4. Go home freddie the rocking jedi badger (temporarily gone to the dark side)

You're reminding me of the Harrison Ford interview, where his response to a question about acting technique was "I belong to the 'let's pretend' school of acting".

Also should add that I personally find most group warm-ups intolerable and annoying, but if the group *is* doing one it seems deeply impolite not to join in - and then run away and quietly refocus and centre myself for the performance before the show starts.

A most critical point - thanks, 86!

Must admit I have never experienced this strange, cult-like behaviour in any production I have been involved in. Maybe I missed it while I was in the toilet... Can anyone give an example of what is meant by a group warm-up?

My understanding of a group warm-up is when the cast (and sometimes crew) gather together to do a few vocal and/or physical exercises to get ready for going on stage. For me personally it's more about being with everyone involved (I'm a bit of a hippy that way) and connecting together ready for the journey ahead. Sometimes you do focusing and enrgising exercises as well. I think they're fun, but I do understand that some people find them more of an annoyance which is cool as well. It's important for people to feel free to prepare in the way that works best for them. DazzaB "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." Scott Adams

I am of the school of "just get up there and do it!" I think group warm ups are really wanky and I also think their enhancement of a performance is negligble. As Humphrey Bogart once said. "I learn my lines and try not to bump into people or furniture". I think people micro manage to the point of ridiculousness in this day and age, I like the KISS principle. Keep It Super Simple. Barbra Streisand never took a single voice lesson, she just knew how, as is the way with natural talent, it just happens, it doesnt need to be worked at. We all have our ways of getting prepared to do anything, not only acting, I think its a case of finding out what works for you.

Entire cast gathers in a circle and plays a few energing mini-theatre games or simple vocal training exercises. Maybe split into pairs and vigorously massage each others' bodies. The precise nature of the warm-up varies from company to company, but the common features seem to be: - some vocal elements, theatricalised yawning, sustaining long "mah" sounds. - simple stretching exercises. - a complete inability by the cast to form an even circle.

I think it depends on the show. Last year I did A Laughing Matter for GRADS, where as a fairly traditional performance work there wasn't really a need for a group exercise, and Taming of the Shrew for Upstart, where since the show was heavily based on commedia del arte traditions and required a much more energetic and physicalised performance, there was a greater need for the cast to operate as a collective unit.

I definitely agree with part three. freddie the rocking jedi badger (temporarily gone to the dark side)

Speaking of which, I need to update the site with details of this year's SotL:O. YES! We have dates! freddie the rocking jedi badger (temporarily gone to the dark side)

Even at the Ellenbrook amphitheatre, when standing on a circle.

Brilliant...Go the Kinks :)

... was my surprise favourit of the evening!

I too find those warm ups somewhat trying. On the few occasions when I have been on stage (rather than backstage), I prefered to find a quiet corner where I could just curl up and wait. Nevertheless, I accept the logic of the warm-ups for musicals, where it is helpful to loosen up the vocal chords before the start. I guess it's a bit like an athlete doing warm-ups . . . stretching exercises and so on . . . before a race. So I participate willingly . . . then find my quiet corner

This is my typical pre-show routine. It's a 20-step process: 1) Set alarm for one hour before I estimate I need to leave the house (Night before. Usually about 1.30am, regardless of what God-awful time I might need to be up). 2) Keep hitting the snooze button (anywhere up to half an hour). 3) Sensibly have prepared a second alarm to go off in the bathroom, which I HAVE to get up to switch off. (night before) 4) Hot shower to wake up and get neck & shoulders moving, sinuses clear. (About 10 minutes. Probably a good opportunity to start a vocal warm up, although I never do) 5) Get dressed. (2 minutes, except if it is just TOO early and dark, when my brain can get stumped at just figuring out what Tshirt or sock to put on. Extra 5 minutes of stupor.) 6) Breakfast (toast or cereal & fruit, coffee) while checking emails. (18 minutes. I'm now 5 minutes late) 7) No need to pack costume/script, as I didn't bother taking them out of the car to wash/look at the night before. Check street directory and realise all the morning's itinerary times are about 12 minutes inadequate 8) Drive to pick up first cast mate. (30-40 minutes. This is also the vocal warm up, singing along to radio advertising jingles...although take note that it's still about 2 hours to showtime.) 9) Next leg of journey, either to pick up next cast mate or to swap into the company truck. (20-30min) 10) Repeat step 9. (If we're already driving in the truck, add 15 minutes.) And invariably someone along the way has been late. Add 10 minutes. 11) Truck and all cast now navigates to school. (30-45min, or add 25min if we've jagged peak hour traffic)) 12) Park in school carpark and find reception. (2 minutes.) 13) An apt number...receptionist will have no idea where we ought to be or how to contact the only person who knows. Will waste time photocopying our working-with-children checks, printing out ID badges which we're not going to wear once we put our costumes on, and phoning various departments to confirm what we already know, that we're meant to be in the gym, and could have been set up by now if we'd just driven straight there. Still have to wait for the drama teacher to get out of their current class and come and repeat personally everything we've already managed to figure out. (35 minutes. It's now almost the half-hour call) 14) Need to reverse truck out of the carpark, go around the block, wait for the gardener to unlock the side gate, drive across the oval, and park only slightly closer to the venue than we were when we arrived. (10 minutes) 15) Inspect venue. Usually have to remove chairs that were set up where we didn't want them, negotiate staging that has been left in our way, remove library displays that will obstruct the audience's view, and/or wait for a basketball game to finish in the space we're supposed to be booked into. (If it's a canteen area, we might take time out to buy a cheese toasty, depending on how easily we can jump the queue.) Play 'find the hidden power outlet', which sometimes involves relocating the gardener so he can activate the fusebox. (8 minutes) 16) Unpack truck, carry stuff up stairs, assemble set, place props, set up sound system and check levels, deal with teachers/students/parents who wander in, re-choreograph any business that now won't work because of sightlines/pillars/ceiling fans/encyclopaedia shelving, possibly attempt to figure out the venue's lighting desk and point the badly placed lamps roughly in the vicinity of the stage, do similar mucking about with the heating/air conditioning to get it working if it's available, do emergency maintenance on broken set/props/costumes/amplifiers (gaffer tape!). Don't forget this IS your physical warmup! (Time allocated in schedule, 50 minutes. Actual time available, 13 minutes) 17) Grab costumes, and all cram into the single allocated toilet cubicle/sports cupboard/canteen kitchen to change. (2 minutes. First class has arrived early, usually travelling through this very room.) 18) Final 2 minutes before show goes up is spent seating the kids. And so is the next 9 minutes, as all the classes arrive in dribs and drabs, and teachers collect money and call the roll. 19) Show starts, 9 minutes late. 20) About 6 minutes into show, cue lawnmower/deputy's announcement/clarinet practice. There will also be an unforeseen wind-tunnel effect, requiring one of the cast to surreptitiously make it to the toolbox in the truck and back to tie down a dangerously teetering piece of set, all while changing costume and operating the next sound cues. This has been my preparation routine for, I estimate, around 1500 performances. For roughly another 1200 shows the routine was virtually the same, except it was the afternoon and I didn't get the wake-up shower. Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

Oh yes, and as for The Kinks, "I'm An Apeman" is a favourite...and for many of my shows often particularly apt. Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

If you read Pontius Kaks comment...then you'll pretty much know what I do. A few changes though. I don’t have much for dinner at all. And I’ll usually do my hair at home. I get to the theatre early – early enough that if ive forgotten something I can get home to get it – or call someone to bring it down. I slowly do my makeup – usually chatting to the ‘newbie’ who is a thousand times more nervous than me so has also arrived early – god it makes me feel better! Will say on and off for about 30 mins ‘Ive gotta go to the toilet’ and share a few too many details about what I need to do there...but never actually go. I’ll walk the stage. I like to walk it in my normal clothes and touch everything that I will be touching whilst on stage. Makes me realise why I’m there…instead of realising 2 seconds after I have stepped on stage. This has become such a tradition for me that I freak out slightly if I have forgotten or run out of time to do it. Make sure my props are where they should be both on and off stage. Pop my costume on and then realise I never actually went to the toilet. Go to the toilet with layers of skirt over my head praying that I don’t drop the hem in the bowl. Partake in the directors briefing (insert group warm up here). Run to the toilet again. Realise there is nothing left to do. But now I can look at my self in the mirror pull my characters ‘face’ without feeling too Diva-ish infront of others whose pre show ritual is to act totally chilled out and calm. Re-do my eye-liner. Spend time by myself getting into character. If im playing a meanie, I’ll snap at anyone that tries to talk to me…as mentioned by other ‘I’m in the zone’…if I’m playing a nice person, I’ll kindly explain that ‘I’m getting into character’. This little bit of the ritual will usually be replayed back to me at the after party/spoof. Hear the call of the stage manager – ‘Ok lets go’ – big deep breath, think ‘farrrr out I shouldve gone to the toilet again’ – put the stage face on…glare back at myself in any reflection I can find. Walk out Dazzle the audience *blink* shows over. I try not to do my lines for fear of deja vu on stage. Has happened one too many times. - Sky

Well when I'm not performing at night time, I usually wake up swearing at what ever the ridiculous amount of hours before my usual wake up. Shower, eat eggs or I won't make it through to lunch time, freeze my but off, or melt my skin off depending on what time of year it is... wait for the obligatory phone message from which ever cast member is running late, warm up the car, look up the school and then hum for the rest of the morning. I go to the toilet just before I get changed into costume. Then about fifteen minutes before I have to be chirpy in front of three hundred kids, when I've only had five hours sleep...I do either the 'windy face' or the 'wormy dance of joy.' Both energy exercises, one involves winding my face from happy to sad with an imaginary lever. Lunch if I'm organised is a tuna sandwich, if I'm not a cheese sausage, and is usually eaten in the car between schools. Then it's onto the next school or, two depending on how crazy a day it is. I also like to bring a thermos with peppermint tea, and drink about three litres of water a day...the only way to maintain your voice through three shows a day, forty shows a season, three seasons a year. (Of course by the time I get to a night time show, I'm so buggered and lazy, all I manage is to remember to go to the toilet before the show starts...)

ESPECIALLY at Ellenbrook, when standing on a circle... You could say I come from the square peg, round hole school of warming up.

Depends what it is, the showcase I'm working on takes all the mystery out of theatre...the actors are sat in the audience and get up when it's their turn. It's a 75 seater studio theatre and doesn't involve a huge amount of projection. All our preperation is done in rehearsals, and much like TV, you just have to snap into charater when required. It's a good experience...for the audience too. Third wall reduced to rubble. love love, R

I use to be a performer, now I am a technician, so I have an appreciation of how nerve racking both aspects can be. I have a fulltime job that I do during the day that is about 20 minutes walk from the theatre, so at about 4.30pm is usually when my night begins. I usually don’t eat before hand, I have a tendency to get a bit nervous as show time approaches and would rather have tummy rumbles during the show than having to run for a bucket. There usually isn’t anybody around when I arrive bar the food and beverage guys setting the tables, talking and clanging in the kitchen. First thing is turning on the lighting and sound equipment and then set up backstage for the casts arrival.. i.e. turn on the lights and aircon, clean up a bit, have some water available, make sure they have there mics and packs if needed, then set the props on stage. I like pottering around on my own in the quiet just getting things sorted before the director walks in. We usually have a quick discussion on any other aspects that need to be addressed and then the cast arrives. After the cast get sorted its setting up mics in costumes, then sound checks and lighting checks before the audience is invited in. I don’t really venture backstage again until 10 minutes before curtain to turn on the mic packs. Then its show time. I give the cue to backstage and I start to pray all goes as it should. All the lighting cues are right and in the right spot and the music is blending well with no mic failures, feedback or too loud it makes the audiences ears bleed. At the end of the show its time to bed everything down for the night and I might get the chance to go to the toilet. The cast mill around for a while with thanks and hugs all round. I usually don’t end up leaving till about 10.30 – 11pm then its home to sleep and back to work at 7.30am. 4.30pm comes around and it’s time to do it all again… But really..isn’t it great … ZZZZZZZZZZZ!!

I think you may have hit upon the difference between the actor who knows the theory and puts it into practice and the actor who just gets up and instinctively pretends. Ssstinger>>>

I saw The Kinks early seventies in Adelaide supported by Daddy Cool. Great show, I will never forget it. Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing. www.tonymoore.id.au

I personally like to cover myself in honey, run around the block, bathe in goats blood then weep uncontrollably for about an hour. Yours faithfully, Targuus Targuus.

I try to eat 2 helpings of bananna puddin'. I find all the sugar keeps me perky, whilst the meringue gives me a much needed and a lasting protein boost. Bananas, like all fruit, are a good fiber source. Of course, timing in that respect, is very important. You never know what's comin' for you.