Bye Week

I ran into a college friend and fellow parent of a senior at our conservatory today and she asked me, 'Your daughter has a bye week this week?" I laughed at her cleverness and the irony, because though she does, how does she spend a weekend off from college auditions? Why, in production, of course! Since returning to school this semester, Micah has been in rehearsals for her school's production of Cabaret. It opened Thursday evening, so she's in performer mode. This is not unique for my daughter, and other auditioning students have expressed missing rehearsals, auditions, callbacks or having to submit video auditions for their school's spring productions. Ah, the dilemma of the senior high school theatre student!

I do want to go on record that the week leading up to this "bye" weekend was a very difficult one for this full-time working mom. I was weary and going non-stop over the past several weekends and the lack of downtime showed-up when I tried to function at work this past Monday. I was fried and my co-workers knew it. In addition, though the travel and one-on-one time my daughter and I have been sharing has been fantastic, we're both weary from together time, emotional ups and downs and adrenaline rushes. The diversions of a production for her and alone time at a theater conference for me have been helpful for both of us.

For those who might be reading this blog for future planning: plan some bye weeks and downtime into your audition schedule. Also, keep in mind that your student, though young and resilient, will definitely feel the wear and tear of the audition schedule laid on top of the continued school and life expectations. It will be difficult, but make a strong effort to build those weeks into the extremely tight audition schedule you'll be dealt.

Fortunately, "Senior Skip Day" this Monday, which is blessed by her school, couldn't come at a more opportune time for my daughter.