Eddard Stark said that Christmas was coming. It’s a time when acting can become your top priority. You might feel a little rusty by January when auditions begin again. Maybe you have had a few kilos of large lunches and enough top-shelf wine to sink a small boat. How can you keep yourself energized and ready for work while enjoying the holidays? StageMilk has a handy guide for staying active during the holidays.
Don’t drop your good habits.
If you’re in a good place with your work and are reading at least one play a week, writing monologues, and learning a lot about acting, it is tempting to give up all these things over the holidays. Very few actors would get up at 6 am to do a yoga practice, then go into a scene analysis and voice warm-up. It would be incredible if you could be that type of actor.
Finding a middle ground is the best way to make sense. You can keep working, but adjust your schedule for the holiday weeks. Before you go to bed, read a short play. It is possible to get at least one voice to warm up during the week leading up to New Year. It is the hardest thing to stop everything from moving forward. My acting style is often reminiscent of a 1920’s car. It runs like a well-oiled machine when it’s up. It can be a nightmare to start it again if it is left in the snow and rain for too long. It will start a lot faster if you keep it running over the holidays.
Moderation in all things
Plautus, the Roman comic-dramatist, famously stated that moderation in all matters is the best policy. Parties. All accounts speak for themselves. Moderation in all things is the best policy for the next few weeks. There are many silly seasons, including Christmas, Kwanza and Boxing Day, New Year and Chinese New Year. There are also a few unlucky birthdays that fall during this time.
Do not be too hard on yourself.
Although this is counter to the previous points, don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself in big party situations and running amok, or just feeling slack and not working as hard earlier in the year as you did earlier in it. There is always a balance between hard love and self-care as a creative. You must be self-motivated, creating your content and improving your work.
You also have to live. Drama schools turn down many actors for lack of experience. You should make sure that you have the right life experience. You must find the right balance between self-care and tough love. If you’re unsure, be kind to yourself at every stage. This is especially important during the holiday season.
Keep an eye out
You can choose which movies you will watch during this time. While it may be tempting to watch the craziest Christmas movie, I encourage you to watch as many great films as possible. There Will Be Blood may not be a well-known Christmas movie. However, you might have the chance to share your thoughts with friends and colleagues about something more productive like classic cinema or Spielberg’s works. It’s up to you, but whenever possible, watch great movies and TV that you can learn from.