{"id":8945,"date":"2021-01-05T19:46:15","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T19:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/?p=8945"},"modified":"2021-01-13T18:42:07","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T18:42:07","slug":"prepping-for-drama-school-pandemic-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/prepping-for-drama-school-pandemic-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepping for Drama School: Pandemic Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prepping for Drama School: Pandemic Style<\/strong><\/h3>\n \"\"<\/a><\/span>

Written by Amanda Grace<\/p>\n

January 13, 2021<\/p>\n

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Getting in to my first-choice acting programme was a dream come true. Now that I\u2019m in the middle of quarantine in a newly-declared Tier 4 city, life is feeling a bit nightmareish.<\/p>\n

A whole class of up-and-coming artists have seen the curtain fall on their final year with cancelled showcases and distanced performances, rendering their graduation and introduction into a world of widely-dimmed stage lights bittersweet. When I was attending auditions in February and March of 2020, I had no way of knowing that I would be part of the first cohort of drama students beginning<\/em> their training in a pandemic, and coming to terms with what essential changes will look like day-to-day has been as hectic as the changes themselves.<\/p>\n

If being a theatre artist teaches one anything, though, it\u2019s how to live on one\u2019s feet. Adaptability is the gift of the creative, and a necessity to those of you who are embarking on your drama school journey this year. From my bubble to yours, here are the tools that have helped me build a track to beginning of term.<\/p>\n

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1. Gather your reading list.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Moving to London for my programme now incurred a two-week period of self-isolation\u2026 in an empty flat\u2026 by myself. It\u2019s been a challenge, to say the least, to muddle through quarantine without a bank account, phone number, or any of the nice things foreigners have to acquire in person, and I can\u2019t say I\u2019ve endured it with grace. But my calmest moments in the maddening quiet have been spent hacking away at my course\u2019s required reading.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a bookworm, so this is therapeutic in and of itself, but if you\u2019re not the biggest reader, working through the few assignments you can in advance of your course will still give you a sense of purpose\u2014of doing the thing you came to school to do. I can\u2019t go see a show to feel engaged with my craft, but I can spend time with the words of Sarah Kane and Emma Smith. Their words remind me that something is waiting for me on the other side, and that creating theatre takes many forms, only one of which is standing on a stage.<\/p>\n

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2. Order materials in advance.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Postal systems the world over are struggling with increased workloads, decreased resources, and the physical risks of continuing to operate as cases rise. The absolute least those of us depending on these services can do is allow for extra shipping time in acquiring the tools we need for our trade.<\/p>\n

Course materials will look different this year. I had anticipated the warm fuzzies getting a proper set of blacks would bring, but I hadn\u2019t anticipated adding a mask to the ensemble. Still, rolling with the punches, I found a black silk number that\u2014in its own apocalyptic kind of way\u2014makes me feel professional and put-together for rehearsal while protecting my coursemates.<\/p>\n

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3. Have inspiration lined up and ready.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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My instinctual crisis response tends to be: \u201cPush through! You\u2019ll get there!\u201d<\/p>\n

It turns out, one cannot simply \u201cpush through\u201d a pandemic.<\/p>\n

I get tired of work. I get emotional. I sit on the floor and cry, \u201cI\u2019ll never make anything AGAIN.\u201d<\/em> And then? I watch The Crown. <\/em>Besides providing my fried soul much-needed rest, watching my favourite performers work reminds me that hope is both pragmatic and necessary. Getting that nostalgic feeling of, \u201cWow, I\u2019d like to do that<\/em>\u201d is invaluable; it\u2019s what pushes me to keep going.<\/p>\n

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4. Keep explicit goals, but be okay with meeting them in new ways.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Part of what keeps me from rolling out of bed into empty apartment feeling like a meat suit lacking potential is having clearly-defined goals clearly written in my diary where I\u2019m forced to look at them every day. I am not Blob; I am Lady Who Is Eventually Going to Finish Editing Her Play. I am not useless; I have a great many uses! Numbered! Here, look at them!<\/p>\n

Re: shout three. Sometimes I do have to hit pause on all my success to have a feels session with Olivia Colman. And that\u2019s okay!<\/em> All work acquires stress, and work you do now will likely be heavier and harder to keep up with. Wring out the sponge. Space steps out. Make the process fun. The main reason I\u2019m rehearsing recitations is because I do them in a funny voice. Be serious about your intentions and keeping your community safe, not about your art. It\u2019s too important for that.<\/p>\n

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5. Remember why<\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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It\u2019s incredibly easy to chirp out, \u201cTheatre Saves Lives!\u201d at high school Thespian competition, surrounded by friends in coordinating t-shirts, feeling glamorous and carefree. I should know. It\u2019s harder to keep in mind in this moment, which is so unlike what any of us would have asked for. We\u2019re afraid, and tired, and tired of being afraid, and wondering, Is drama even that important<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Absolutely. It is.<\/p>\n

In our greatest moments of suffering, many, if not most, of us turn to stories. Films and music and podcasts and television programmes remind us we aren\u2019t alone or event the first to face our specific sufferings. Theatre, especially the current wave of remotely-broadcast Zoom productions, reminds us that human nature is to adapt, to survive, to make great things In Spite Of.<\/p>\n

If there is any way at all for you to pursue your craft, to continue the human tradition of telling stories in the dark times, safely and securely, it\u2019s an undertaking worthy of respect. Keep yourself and your colleagues safe, and find a way to do the work you can\u2014because no matter the timing or what it looks like, the worth is worth doing. I promise.<\/p>\n

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Need some advice? We\u2019ve got you covered.<\/h3>\n