Sunday, January 24, 2010

How to Keep the Drama Onstage

An Instruction Manual by Monday Mission Press

All good actors should do their best to keep the dramatics limited to the stage, and away from the dressing and green rooms.

1. The best way to keep the drama on the stage is to refrain from having a "showmance." This is easiest if you already have a relationship with someone outside of the production.

2. If you DO manage to get romantically entangled with another cast mate, limit your public displays of affection (PDAs) to the bar after the show. Under no circumstance should you disappear with a cast mate behind closed doors and reappear, straightening your hair/and or clothes. Also, please be sensitive to the fact that there were probably other single folks in the cast lusting after your recent conquest. Flaunting your inability to keep your hands off of each other makes them mopey and unpleasant, further worsening the experience for everyone forced to stand in the wings together.

3. Never act like you know everything about every topic, even if you are sure you do.

4. Stop complaining about the bad tasting water, and bring your own from home.

5. Keep conversations backstage quiet, or else the audience can hear you! Also... if you've said it once and no one responded, it's likely because they didn't care. There is no need to repeat it louder. Let it go.

6. Acknowledge that not everyone has to be best friends.

7. It is not a good idea to share all the details of your latest fantasy/night with your boyfriend/most recent drinking binge.

8. Don't take everything so personally.

9. No stalking!

10. Don't continually disparage yourself, or everyone else will be forced to agree with you.

11. Apologize when you make a mistake, and praise others when they do well.

12. Leave the outside world OUTSIDE.



This post has been a Monday Mission. This week's mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a post in the style of an instruction manual. If you play along please post a link to your instructions in the widget below:


Next week begins a new month, but I am going to take some time off from the missions. I'm not sure if it will last a full month or not. I'll keep you posted. Many thanks to those of you who have been playing along, and they will return, I promise. In the meantime, if you have any ideas for a Monday Mission (what style could we write posts in?) let me know. Maybe your ideas are just what I need to inspire me!

9 comments:

Creative-Type Dad said...

Seems like good advice. Nothing about refrain from being a diva...

alejna said...

Most excellent!

I have to say, many of these instructions should be applied to people involved in drama outside the theater business as well. I especially appreciate this one: "Don't continually disparage yourself, or everyone else will be forced to agree with you." (Also, "no stalking" amuses me.)

I guess I've worked with my share of "drama queens" beyond the theater realm. (Do you thespian types use that term?)

I'll hopefully manage a Mission today, though I may not have enough time till evening.

MARY G said...

Very cool! And a window into a world I would not otherwise see.
Even if it is toungue-in-cheek.

kayerj said...

I have to agree with alejna--this is a very good instruction manual for personal relationships anywhere. Nicely done.

MARY G said...

Sorry you are going to be off for a while....I hope whatever you are busy at gains you lots of rewarding fun.
You need an award just for doing so many of these MM's. Many times it has made Monday a good day for me. Thank you. A lot!
I will try to think up some topics for later.

Furrow said...

Is it true that off-stage romances lead to no chemistry on the stage? I was dating my leading man in high school, and I could feel the fizzle, but our relationship was going downhill, anyway.

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Louise said...

I love this! It could go for just about all of life, not just being in a production!

Run ANC said...

I totally agree with you on all points (although I am often guilty of #10...oops!)