Those moments in life when the world pauses for that moment. I find the really poignant and big points of reflection. I think of them as mini catharsis, points of clarity in a cloudy world that we called life.
I always break my show warm-up into 4 parts: the body, the voice, the show, and the spirit.
The Body.
I work on stretching out and relaxing my physical body. Just getting ready for whatever the show requires. I usually do this without sound or music, to focus on the task at hand. Even though meditation is more along the spirit lines, I usually try to stick 5-10 mins. on the stage itself.
The Voice.
In a musical, I'll use the piano on my phone to dial into some notes, then glance at my music and last run's notes. For a play, I do 5-10 mins. of articulation tricks. The big part of this section is not to overwork yourself.
The Show.
This is the time when I connect myself back to my character. A lot of the times of the characters that has traits that are not like mine, and just embracing those quirks. This is also when I hand with others.
The Spirit.
I spent the last 25 minutes, before 5, listening to a very specific playlist they just relaxes me. I would like to say my pre-show jitters usually hits (if they do hit) right when the house opens so the music helps. During this time I just focus on delivering the greatest show, no matter how big, small, or non-existence the audience is.
There's a reason why I'm always the first one in the theatre. I need the time.
Acting is very much this element of escape. This need to break away.
Jack Ellis
