For this week’s article, I thought it would be fun to take you all inside a typical show day in my life!
I am currently in the UCLA production of Emma: No One But Herself, a musical based on the Jane Austen novel, Emma.
For me, the morning before a show starts before I get out of bed. The first thing I do, and I do this every morning, is write in my gratitude journal. It’s easy, as a theater major, to get wrapped up in the rejection, basing your entire self worth off a casting process for a role you swore you were perfect for. Constant rejection is not something that a regular person with a stable career experiences every day of their lives. Yet, for actors and other artists, we hear ‘no’ almost every day. It tends to take a toll. In an effort to combat that feeling, I take five minutes and write down the grounding parts of my life, my immeasurable gratitude for my blessings in life range from Harry Styles’ new album, to the ability to wake up and call my mom.
After I write, I like to steam my voice. Steaming is kind of a hard concept to explain, but essentially, I have a machine that delivers hot steam to my vocal chords, moisturising them and warming them up for the day of talking, and the night of singing.
Immediately after, I like to move my body so that I can warm it up for the show that night. Usually this involves hot yoga, pilates, running at the gym, or going for a long walk. This activity engages my breathing, forcing me to breathe deeply and healthily while performing intense physical activity.
Then, I usually meet up with friends, get brunch or coffee, shop, run errands, or do homework, then get ready to head to the theater!
Once I get to the theater, my day officially begins. If you’ve never been in theater, or indulged in theatrical media, it’s hard to explain the feeling of stepping into the curtain-clad place I call home. The buzz, the excitement, the gratitude that permeates every corner of the building is an indescribable feeling. When I arrive, I head straight to my dressing room and start chatting with my dressing roommates. While we put on our makeup and do our hair, we play an eclectic mix of music from Mau P to The Color Purple Broadway Cast Recording.
When I finish those two, I get my microphone threaded through my hair and taped to my forehead. Then it’s time to hop around to every dressing room and talk to all my friends. Usually this involves my disposable camera and five hundred tik toks.
Once it’s showtime, I throw on my costume and head out onstage! Hearing the orchestra, feeling the stage lights, and seeing the faces of the audience tells me this is exactly where I should be. The gratitude and joy I feel up on that stage feels almost religious. I have never been so sure about a love or passion in my entire life.
Once I take my bow, I get out of costume and head home! Usually this lands around 11:30pm, so I like to head home and wind down with TV. Currently, its Love Story on Hulu.
Then, I write once more in my gratitude journal, and head to bed!
Thanks for reading, and make sure to come see Emma: No One But Herself at UCLA!!