Post-Show Blues and How to Cure Them

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

It's Monday morning, and you're feeling down. 

Last night or yesterday afternoon, you finished your final performance of a show. You had an incredible run, the cast was fantastic, and the performances were some of the most memorable times of your life. 

But now you're miserable, and you know this weekend will only get worse. 

What you're feeling is commonly referred to as "Post Show Blues" or "Post Show Depression". The good news is that it's normal to feel this way and that there are cures for it. 

Make it a Positive

As hard as it seems, it's a good thing to be feeling the way you're feeling right now. It means that you truly loved being in that show, and it was a positive experience. Trust me, I'd rather feel this way than the opposite of being glad it’s over and that I wasted my time. 

When we miss something, it tells us that it was important or special. Keep that in mind when going through the post-show blues. 

Let It Go

This is going to sound harsh, but you have to let it go and understand the experience you had is never going to happen again. Even if you work with the same cast, crew, show, etc. It's going to be different. But that also means you could have MORE fun or develop even more friendships. Just don't go looking for lightning to hit twice because it won't happen. 

Don't Panic

A lot of us will panic now that this show is over, and we'll never get into another one. I promise you this isn't the case. If you were talented enough to get into this one, you're talented enough to be cast again.

Allow yourself time to reflect and relax 

You’ve probably been go-go-go for a while now, between final rehearsals and performances.  Now is the time to sit back and rest, and allow yourself to rejuvenate.  Do something nice for yourself, such as getting a massage for those sore muscles (especially if you’ve been in a strenuous show with lots of stage combat or dancing) or a facial (especially if you’ve been wearing tons of stage makeup!).

Do Not Rush Back Into a Show!

A lot of people feel the best way to get over their blues is to get back into a show as soon as possible. I can't encourage you to avoid this enough. You might think this will prevent the bard feelings from happening, but it’s a surefire way to get burned out. Take some much-deserved time off and then go out for a show that you want to do rather than what you feel you need to do. 

Keep in Touch

Thank your fellow cast and crew members, and keep in touch with them.  Send them an email or a tweet, or drop them a message on Facebook, or for heaven’s sake, pick up the phone and call them.  If you’re really missing them, arrange a reunion.

There are a bunch of healthy ways to feel not so down in the dumps about finishing a show. I recommend all of them. There are going to be plenty more shows and experiences down the road for you.