You are #soblessed! You’ve booked a job, rehearsed, then the glorious day you move into the theater arrives! There are a few unspoken rules that you should know before moving into this phase of your cast-relationship development. Whether you are sharing a dressing room with one person or 14 people, here are some tips to keep the peace.
1. Remember that this is a shared space. I realize in New York it seems like everything is a shared space. Unlike the subway, the people sitting next to you aren’t strangers that you may never see again. Respect their boundaries and keep all of your stuff within your own divided mirror (if you have one)! Always keeping a compassionate point of view of how you would feel as if you were someone else in the room is important when deciding whether you should, say, do, or act a certain way. A good rule is to ask for a group consensus before doing things that might affect your fellow cast mates. Deodorant is a no-brainer though.
2. It’s not a rehearsal studio. There is a hard rule not to vocalize after half hour, but there is no hard or fast rule for audition preparation. Leaving your sides out may seem understandable to some, but then you run the risk of leaving others in the room feeling as though they are missing out. Others may not have gotten an appointment for the same project, or had a callback and not booked it. Asking questions about projects and allowing people to be supportive is highly encouraged, but wait for the dressing room to be empty to belt out that new song.
3. Take the drama outside. Spending so much time with highly dramatic fellows, you are sure to run into uncomfortable situations. Just like you should leave your personal drama off the stage, you should take all drama out of the dressing room. Speak to whomever you need to, but know that what is said in the dressing room runs the risk of being on display for all in the room. Politely ask someone if you can speak in the hall or in another space to find restitution.
4. Your opinion is not a fact. You just got comps to the newest musical around the block for your day off. You hated it. The next day your dressing roommates ask you what you thought. Be careful what you say, as most of the people in that dressing room are likely to have a friend or three in that new show. This is not to say you shouldn’t be honest, but take responsibility for your opinion. The difference between, “It was terrible,” and “It’s not really my thing,” can make or break your relationships in the dressing room. If you do decide to dish it however, don’t forget you have to be willing to take it.
5. Know your dressers. Know all of the wardrobe staff’s names as best you can and as soon as you can. These are the people that keep you looking good in front of thousands of people, and they run the underground of personality judgment. And for God’s sake, tip your dresser!
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The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
