It has been a hard and rewarding first 6 days of rehearsal. I thought as I started on this posting that it would be about the rehearsals. Instead I keep leaning towards the more mundane, daily ritual of living while on the road.
The goal is for my time here to feel like part of my life, not an isolated incident in which my comfort, stability and routine gets tossed out the window. It was important for me to pack light but at the same time, bring certain things with me in order to make a hotel feel like home.
To Bring:
1. Tea/Coffee/Travel Mug: I have a travel mug that I fill with coffee or tea in the mornings when I'm at home and heading outside to work via subway or on a walk with the dog. I brought the mug with me along with teas from home. I fill it with tea before going to rehearsals. It's comforting to have it with me and helps keep my days in some sort of routine.
2. Running clothes: This is the biggest thing that adds to my routine. Granted, having a treadmill in the hotel, makes it even easier to run while on the road then while at home. At home I use it as a stress reliever and mood enhancer and, if I'm being really honest, gives me the ability to eat more than I could otherwise. While here working on the show, it has proven to be a rehearsal tool as well. In the opera I'm playing a 10 year old boy who runs, jumps, spins, dances and generally has a childhood induced caffeine buzz going 80% of the time. Hopping on the treadmill the first few days of rehearsal probably contributed to my super sore body at the end of each day, but there's something to be said for continued cardiovascular training. I think I'm able to add more life to the stage and create a very strong character while still maintaining an even and relaxed breath which is the linchpin of healthy and beautiful singing.
3. Kindle: I LOVE that I can bring a whole library with me on the road. I can remember packing a quarter of a suitcase with books before getting my Kindle. I'm an avid reader and I love that I now have the ability to go through as many books as I like without worrying about finishing everything before I get back home or more realistically, worry about breaking the luggage. Incidentally, my suitcase did die at the airport on the way here. I'm sure years of book abuse were partially to blame.
4. Computer and Internet gaming: It is out there. I play an MMO (Mass Multiplayer Online Game). I pack my headset, my computer and my wireless mouse and I'm equipped. I get to play games with and hang out with loved ones in a way that nothing else affords me while away. My computer also acts as my link to movies and entertainment. I haven't turned the hotel t.v. on once while here, and it's largely due to the ability to access Netflix streaming. I can still watch movies and programs which I find entertaining and enjoyable. It is all I have at home so once again, I feel like it is an extension of home.
5. Select snacks: I forgot the most important snack of all this time but thankfully someone noticed and thought to mail it out. I am a super picky chocolate eater. I have a few brands of dark chocolate bars that I love to nibble on slowly. I didn't have time to go out and find them here but they showed up in the mail anyways! In addition to the tea, I brought fruit leather and some energy bars. It keeps my snacking consistent with what I have at home. Plus, I knew rehearsals would be taxing and it always helps to have something to munch on to keep the mental and physical energy up when you're "on" 6-8hrs a day.
All this talk of food has given me the motivation to go out and run the errands that need to get run today before the next 6 days of rehearsal commence once again.
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