One true roadblock in doing theatre in high school is high school itself. It is a bit ridiculous to expect students who have been through over six hours of academics – mostly sitting on their butt – to be free and available for a three hour rehearsal. Why in the world can’t you be totally rested, wide-eyed and raring to go in the 15 minutes you have between school and rehearsal? Crazy, right? I, myself, have NEVER been able to do this with grace. My best approach to the 4pm blues is to take a 15 minute nap during my lunch and save all of my carbohydrates for the day in a frenzy of eating at 3:30. Coffee helps, but coffee doesn’t carry the day.
Over the years I have tried starting 15 minutes later with rehearsals, I have tried giving extended time before rehearsals for a questionable “meal” from Taco Bell. I have played out all types of warm-ups from yoga, tai chi, to playing crazy version of tag, to camp games galore. All had their benefit – but some took too long or had too little lasting effect.
My solution to preparing the actor for rehearsal: a good ol’ fashioned run followed by a bit of stretching and a bottle of water. Even in a rather sedentary show such as Shadow Box, I am finding it to be the perfect way to get “in your body” and “with your breath.” I find it helpful to have a warm-up actually warm you up. Even a table-read has more possibilities when it is energized by a good ol’ fashioned run. It is now an expected part of being in a “Higgins production”.