The Best Ways To Get Ready For Opening Night

Chris Peterson

This is it, tonight is the night. This is what you've been preparing the past couple of months for. It doesn't matter if you're doing a three performance run or a year long engagement, everyone has an opening night. 

While the adrenaline might be pumping and the butterflies flying, here are some tips to help get yourself ready for tonight. 

Rest and Relax

Opening night might be the beginning of the performances but they also mark the end of tech week, we we all know is exhausting. Chances are you probably didn't get much sleep after final dress. So resting and relaxation the day before opening night is definitely encouraged. 

If you work another job, it's not a bad idea to arranging a day off the day of opening night. I always take the day off. It allows me to sleep in and do things at my own pace before call. It's never a good idea to go to a stressful work situation, only to have to rush from there straight to the theatre. 

Don't Worry About Your Lines

You know your lines, I promise you do. As a responsible actor, you were off book weeks ago. You know your lines. So there's no need to pour through your script as if you don't know any of them. 

I've seen too many actors psyche themselves out and panic simply because they opened their script. Trust your abilities and the work you've put in. If you're not feeling 100% about a certain scene, then of course look at it.  

Now if you truly don't know your lines...that's a problem and I would hate to be you right now.

Eat Something

As they say, it's never good to do something on an empty stomach. So why would you go on stage having not eaten anything? 

This would be one of those days I would really recommend having three square meals. 

Watch a Movie

One of the best ideas I had before a show, would be showing up early to the theatre and watch a movie. Whether it was in the green room in college or in my car alone with my I Pad, watching a movie put me in the best mode for opening night. 

It gets you out of your head, kills time and distracts you for a little bit. If you haven't tried this yet, I really encourage it.

Get Some Alone Time Before Places

Group warm ups and rituals are great but give yourself a moment of solitude before you walk in stage. Whether it's for prayer, meditation, etc, it's always healthy to find a corner and collect yourself before you walk in stage.

Well that's all the advice I can give you. Lots of people have different ways to get ready for what's about to happen tonight. Once that curtain rises, the most important thing is to have fun. Congratulations on getting to his point and break a leg!