Last weekend, I helped out with a Guardians of the Galaxy-themed burlesque show.
Heres what I learned about working under pressure when you have no idea what the hell youre doing.
I would manage microphones and check that everyone had the mic packs they needed when they needed them.
Many jobs are like this.
I received a very detailed spreadsheet that showed who was supposed to have which mic pack at what time.
However, that document didnt specify when a mic pack change occurred.
With a week before the first show, I got to work creating my own spreadsheet.
During the show, it was an invaluable tool.
In real life, thatsusually never the case.
Sometimes your job is to figure out your job.
Whatever it is, you have two choices: complain, or get it done.
If you choose the latter, independent research becomes your best friend.
No one told me I needed to do it, but I took the initiative.
Dont wait for someone to tell you what specific things you’re gonna wanna do.
I had a call box backstage connected to the sound booth.
When I heard a command yelled through that box, it became my job to carry it out.
Theres an inherent simplicity to getting things done when youre working in theater.
It may be a high-stress environment, but everyone knows whats happening on stage matters more than anything else.
If someone says to do something, you do it.
If someone says to get out of the way, you get out of the way.
So, when a voice on the callbox shouted,Wheres Deadpool?
I relayed the message immediately, or I dealt with the problem.
Your first instinct when youre knocked off balance isprobably to overreact.
In the moment, thats not helpful.
In my case, it was usually the former.
This brings us to the next important step.
The first show was fantastic, but not without its rough edges.
After a brief nights sleep, we got together on Saturday afternoon.
I took this opportunity to bring up each issue Id run into during the last show.
I coordinated with stage hands to improve our communication when something wasnt in place.
I talked with a couple actors to iron out technical issues.
The Saturday show went much more smoothly.
Its tempting to not bring up the problems you run into.
If you have to ask for help, that means you cant hack it, right?
When you dont entirely know what youre doing,imposter syndromeand fear can creep in.
Both of those make you do stupid things, like not ask for help when you need it.
But not asking for help when you need it is pretty unprofessional.
In any case,ask for what you need.
I was lucky to work with a friendly crew that knew what they were doing.
If you dont ask for help and you screw up, theyllknowyou cant do the job.
Instead, I asked to go to every rehearsal I had the time to attend.
I didnt go because I expected everyone to drop everything to talk microphones with me.
Instead, I just wanted to get to know the people and the show itself.
On a personal level, it was nice to make new friends.
We already knew each other.
At the very least,give yourself time to introduce yourself to everyone.
If you’re free to make friends, thats even better.
More than anything, it helps to just be flexible.
Not every job is the same, but most can benefit from the same strategies.
Photos byDanielle Boise Photography, courtesy ofHysteria Machines.
Illustration by Angelica Alzona.
