If you’re someone studying theatre arts, you should certainly be focused on getting better at what you do. If you’re in the business, you should be doing the same. Improvement and growth are essential to your being employed for the long run. Thus, in order to make the most of the opportunities with which 2015 will present you, you’ll want to focus on being self-motivated. Here are five New Year’s resolutions that are designed to aid your growth.
Five Things to Do
- Read a Play a Week: If you are in school and have play reading assignments, make sure that you complete them. But the fact is whatever you’ve been assigned is not enough. You should be reading more. Add an extra play to your reading list. If you have no such assignments, then read at least two plays per week.
- Read Plays Aloud: You can do this on your own or with a group. Reading plays aloud brings them to life in a manner that sitting and silently reading them cannot. Plus, if you’re an actor, you’ll develop cold reading skills; if you’re a director, you’ll make new discoveries about the characters and other aspects of the play; if you’re a playwright, you’ll be able to actively hear rhythms, tempos, and the overall music of the dialogue; and if you’re a designer, you’ll be able to realize the progression of the play, characters, and themes much better. Plus, reading a play aloud is a lot of fun, and it can lead to insightful discussions.
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Not healthy behavior. Engage in Healthy Behaviors: Being in the theatre is very stressful. Being physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy will improve your performance. If you are not eating right, if you have a bad habit or two, if you are not working out, and if you are not taking time to connect with other people, your environment, and the universe, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage. Be good to yourself by being health conscious.
- Engage in Research: The theatre utilizes every aspect of our being. Science, technology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, language, literature, history, politics, and much more are all a part of the theatre. The more you know the more you can bring to your work. Don’t just focus on theatre. If you do, you’ll be missing about 99% of what the theatre is all about.
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Positive connections are important. Make Positive Connections: Too often those wanting to advance in the theatre, and in any area of business for that matter, can be very negative, especially about other folks in the business. It’s important to make positive connections with others in the theatre. This holds true for those who can help you and, also, for those that you may perceive as your competition. Utilizing positive energy in your interactions with others will come back to you. You never know who will remember you in a positive manner and recommend you for a job without your even knowing it.
Compete with Yourself
The five resolutions offered are focused on self-improvement. The fact is in the theatre the main person you are competing with is yourself. You’re always battling to get better and become more accomplished at what you do. Hold yourself to high standards in everyway, and, eventually, you’ll enjoy the benefits that come with such an effort.
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