{"id":1188,"date":"2016-09-23T15:13:38","date_gmt":"2016-09-23T15:13:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/?p=1188"},"modified":"2017-09-23T21:27:41","modified_gmt":"2017-09-23T21:27:41","slug":"10-items-every-actor-should-carry-in-their-rehearsal-bag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-items-every-actor-should-carry-in-their-rehearsal-bag\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Items Every Actor Should Carry in Their Rehearsal Bag"},"content":{"rendered":"

10 Items Every Actor Should Carry in Their Rehearsal Bag<\/h3>\n \"\"<\/a><\/span>

Written by Ashleigh Gardner<\/p>\n

September 22, 2016<\/p>\n<\/font>

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Have you ever shown up to rehearsal and been ridiculed for not having <\/span>something<\/span><\/i>? Water? Your script? A pencil? Don\u2019t worry. Before your next rehearsal, pack your bag with the following items so you\u2019ll be prepared for anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Your script.<\/h4>\n
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Duh. Even if you\u2019re off-book, always have your script with you. This helps if need to check blocking, entrances, character notes, or the order of scenes in the show. Plus, it\u2019s always a good feeling to have a well-loved script on your bookshelf after a show — a well-loved script means a hard-won performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2.\u00a0A pencil.<\/h4>\n
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A pencil allows you to make notes <\/span>and erase them later.<\/span><\/i> Ever try to erase pen from a script? It\u2019s impossible. When you use pen to make notes, your script becomes a graveyard for discarded blocking, scribbles, and sloppy writing-while-standing margin notes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3.\u00a0A notebook.<\/h4>\n
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Even if you don\u2019t journal regularly, a notebook is a great tool to have during rehearsals. You can take down show concept notes, character inspiration and discoveries, and any ideas you might have about your performance. If you journal as part of character development, you can use down time during rehearsals to explore your character further.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4.\u00a0Jazz shoes.<\/h4>\n
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You never know when you\u2019ll need to dance or move in a way that requires shoes other than flats, heels, or tennis shoes. Capezio, Sansha, or Bloch are the most popular brands.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5.\u00a0A jacket or sweater.<\/h4>\n
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It might be cold in the theatre or space in which you rehearse. Pack a sweater or jacket to keep warm. Maintaining a warm body temperature after physical and vocal warm-ups helps to reduce the possibility that your muscles will cramp up because of the chilly atmosphere.<\/span><\/p>\n

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6.\u00a0Rehearsal clothing.<\/h4>\n
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This includes any clothing items that you use to help you get used to a piece of clothing that is part of your costume (when you don\u2019t have your costume yet). For men and women, wear shoes or hats (if you\u2019ll wear a hat) that are like those you\u2019ll be wearing in the show. For ladies, if you\u2019ll be in a skirt or dress, wear a rehearsal skirt (one that can get dirty or torn in case of accidents). Also, corsets are common in period pieces; if you can find a good quality corset (steel boned), wear it during rehearsals to train your body to move with it before you\u2019re introduced to your final costume.<\/span><\/p>\n

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7.\u00a0Face wipes.<\/h4>\n
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Sometimes we get sweaty during rehearsal. It\u2019s okay! Wipe off that rehearsal grime with some face wipes. Have sensitive skin? A number of companies make wipes that are gentle on skin while removing sweat and makeup.<\/span><\/p>\n

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8.\u00a0Water bottle.<\/h4>\n
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In addition to drinking 7 glasses of water a day, you\u2019ll need more if you\u2019re walking, running, leaping, crawling, and gallivanting around a stage. Make sure to keep yourself hydrated so you can perform your best in a rehearsal. Want some flavor? Add fruit!<\/span><\/p>\n

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9.\u00a0Snacks.<\/h4>\n
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If you don\u2019t have time to eat a full meal before rehearsal, or if your rehearsal runs long, you\u2019ll need some snacks to tide you over. Don\u2019t let yourself go hungry because eating wasn\u2019t convenient before rehearsal. Carry some granola bars or fruit, snacks that are light and won\u2019t make you go into a food coma in the middle of the Act II run-through.<\/span><\/p>\n

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10.\u00a0Cough drops and tea bags.<\/h4>\n
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At some point, you\u2019ll get a scratchy throat. It happens! But you can fight it with cough drops and tea. (For tea, see if the space you\u2019re rehearsing in has hot water or a microwave.) Interested in more remedies? Check out our article on <\/span>10 Remedies to Help Your Throat Survive Audition Season<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, and protect your voice for your big performance!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ashleigh Gardner<\/strong>\u00a0received her AA in Theatre\/Drama\/Dramatic Arts\u00a0from Valencia College and\u00a0her Bachelors Degree in English Literature and\u00a0Masters Degree in Literary, Cultural, and Textual Studies from\u00a0the University of Central Florida. She is a playwright, an actor, and PerformerStuff.com\u2019s Editor.\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [...]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[261,470,260,453],"tags":[12,399,280,75],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}