The earliest memory about theatre that I could possibly think of happened when I was about nine years old. It was right before my dad got a job promotion and my parents had received free tickets for the Wizard of Oz. It was held at a theatre in the heart of the city, the air smelled different, it was loud, and by god I was excited. I remember wearing a dress in a horrid shade of pink , and yet, feeling like a little princess. (However I did have three of my Star Wars action figures hidden in the pocket of the purse my mum lent me, just in case I got bored) I remember enjoying myself and being excited to see the next play. (Which turned out to be months later. I went to a production of A Christmas Carol but I had to leave early because I nearly got sick…bah humbug indeed)
When I got into high school I finally had the chance to perform. I was in two of my school plays, served as a theatre critic on a school team, and did hair and makeup in another school production. The reason why I haven’t been writing recently is actually because I am now in another play! (Cue the thunderous applause…just kidding) And I just thought that I would list off some tips and things that I think would be beneficial backstage and at home after performance.
At the theatre you sometimes have to follow a set of rules and that is absolutely fine. It just means that sometimes you have to sometimes prepare or do things beforehand. Ask a stage manager or try to look around your theatre in regards to these regulations.
Tip 1: Try to avoid perfumes. A lot of people, me included, are really allergic to perfume. So try not to use heavily perfumed hair products or deodorants before you go onstage. Scent can travel and you do not want to be the actor who causes someone on the cast or in the audience to get sick. A lot of hairsprays have fragrances so do be careful! If you still want to feel fresh go for more unscented or essential oil based products. Essential oils do have a lot of antibacterial properties and they tend to not cause as much allergic reactions, at least in my experience. Depending on the brand, a little can go a long way so try not to use too much. Try going for products with peppermint, lavender, or tea tree essential oils. No fragrance oils! I go for the DoTerra brand most of the time and I find one drop is more than enough when it comes to freshening up. (Plus DoTerra is FDA approved and it has ethical sourcing! Bonus!)
Tip Two: Bring your own stage makeup. (This one is going to be long)
In most cases it will not be provided and a lot of time the makeup artists will be quite busy with some of the actors. It is a lot easier in my opinion to do your own makeup. (This is coming from a person who acted as a makeup artist. HEED MY WARNINGS!)
Try to make sure your skin is well moisturised and primed before you do any makeup. It helps to make sure that your makeup won’t melt off as fast under the (hot as the pits of Tartarus) stage lights. In the play that I’m doing I am going to have to not only wear lots and lots of velvet from head to toe, but I will also be hiding underneath a bedsheet during a scene where there will be some spot lights on me. Soooo I will most likely be sweating like a pig. Perhaps you will be too! I don’t know! Waterproof makeup in this instance will most likely be your friend. Or matte foundations as well.
Make sure that if you are playing a living character that you go for a foundation shade that is slightly darker than your regular skin tone. (This is because the stage lights will wash you out) Try to avoid cool tones unless you are playing an old person, a dead person, or a sick person. I am most likely going to lean towards the Lock-It concealer and foundation, but you should go with whatever you are comfortable with. I find that cake makeup tends to make my skin flare up, so I avoid it. When you do your foundation, try to blend in your foundation anywhere on your face, ears and neck. This may seem tedious but you do not want your head looking much darker from your neck and ears.
Also if you are going for blush, highlighter, or bronzer, avoid sparkly finishes unless your role requires it. Under the lighting it may give you the appearance of a fairy or a disco-ball. I am most likely going to use eyeshadow under my cheek bones, and I will most likely be leaning towards the Lancôme oil free Blush Subtil in Rose Fresque. As for highlighter I am still debating on using one or not. For eyes I like to go for neutral tones such as light pinks, taupe shades, and browns. (The Chocolate Bar palette by Too Faced has great colours and pigmentation just so you know)
For mascara try to go for a waterproof one as well. Go a bit heavy for definition but comb through your lashes if you want a more natural look. I use a mascara by Lancôme and I think it works great! If you are feeling really fancy you could even use false lashes. Depending on your character you could go for bold eyeliner or more understated eyeliners. Go for black if you want your eyes to stand out or browns if you want your look to be more understated. I like liquid or pencil liners for this, as I fins powder eyeliner can get messy. As for lips go a bit darker than your regular lip shade but do think about what is right for your character. I usually pat on a bit of red lipstick and blend it in. It isn’t as dark as a regular red but it also just helps to give my lips more definition. I like to use lipsticks by Bite Beauty or even NYX. Lastly… DO NOT FORGET YOUR BROWS! Your brows do a lot more acting than you would think, so try to accentuate them.
Tip 3: Try to stay happy and healthy backstage.
Oftentimes it seems like actors are always getting sick or suffering from a multitude of things. I had a breakdown while doing one play as an early teen due to stress not only from school, but also because of my anxiety. It is hard doing something like acting in front of a lot of people, and sometimes those things can get to you. I just became a teen meditation teacher and I do think that there are ways to combat this stress. I do some breathing techniques whenever I feel myself getting extra antsy or spooked. I like to do eight 4-7-8 breaths. What I mean by that is you breath in for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, and breath out for eight seconds. This may seem hard or weird but actually it helps you to focus on something other than your anxious thoughts. Or you could even try counting your breaths. Just make sure you do this when you have time and not when you are waiting for a cue.
Make sure you intake some Zinc vitamins, some vitamin c, and even manuka honey. I always find this can be beneficial when you are feeling under the weather. Drink a lot of water and herbal tea. Those are soothing not only to your body but also to your vocal cords. When I do shows I tend to try avoiding sugary, milky or alcoholic beverages until after I have done the things that I need to do. Also make sure to not only wash your face but also clean your makeup brushes. Makeup brushes can host lots of bacteria that could cause skin damage. Take the time to also moisturize your body. I know that you will be feeling tired after performances and you will want to just jump into bed. Don’t do it! You wouldn’t believe how much better you will feel after a shower. If you do this every night however make sure to moisturize or otherwise you will feel like this…
I did warn you.
Make sure to keep hydrated and try to eat as well as you can. Sometimes this can be difficult but I’m finding that more restaurants are offering some delicious and healthy options for food. Try to eat balanced meals, but don’t forget to have some fun. I like to make some healthy cookies and some oranges so that I can just snack throughout the day without having feelings of guilt. Eat meals that fuel you. I am not a nutritionist and I just know what works for me.
Anyways maybe I will make a list of the tings I usually bring with me when it gets closer to show time.
All my love!
Viktoria
Tales of Tea and Other Eccentricities 