The Stress Factor
Dunkirk NY – Everyone is stressed these days, or so they say. In my large lecture class I often get emails from students whose assignments are late that talk about how stressed-out they are. Many of the Facebook statuses I see from students talk about their stress or hint at ongoing difficulties in their lives. And if you’d like to read something a little bit more in-depth about how stressed they get, here are three blog posts from students of mine recently posted to our department blog.
I worry often about the mental health of our students. Where does all this stress come from, and why is it necessary to create it? Is this stress just a condition of living in the 21st century no matter what you do or how old you are? What should be the policy of a theatre department in terms of the mental health of its students? How should stress be handled?
These are all unasked questions when it comes to curricular and extra-curricular situations within theatre departments. As I prepare to open the opera, I can see many stress-out students, performers and backstage personnel alike, working in semi-panic mode. It took longer to load in the set than anticipated; the deck crew are all pretty much freshman opera production majors; the set itself is a three-act behemoth which looks fantastic on stage, but none of it is on wagons for easy shifting; last night my student Mimi was singing with a stiff back and neck, needing ice in between acts; orchestra players were out with the flu (no harp); and even my professional Mimi had just come in on Monday after opening a premiere in New York City and has exactly one dress rehearsal before opening. Ay mie Ay mie!
When students ask me if I get stressed out, often the answer is “not so much.” I get concerned about certain things, but as the director at this level it’s not my job to fix them. I get a little stressed internally when I see others not working as fast as I would, but otherwise I work to keep a calm demeanor. I feel that if I show stress, others will just get more stressed. I do what I can within my classes to be a stress-reliever, trying to make my classes “stress-free zones.” I don’t believe at all in the saying “I work best under stress.”
What do I keep in mind when I start to feel that stress creeping up on me? Two things. The first is long-term thinking. My assignments and grades are not going to be the be-all and end-all of these people’s lives. Hence, I tailor my expectations accordingly. The world does not revolve around my demands. Secondly, “it’s only the school play.” Save the stress for when it really counts in the outside world. More thought needs to be put into thinking about stress and mental health as we consider changes in theatre curricula. -twl
