10 Tasks for Drama Students During Post-Show

You did it! Your performance is done. But we don’t want all your students to just disappear after the curtain closes, especially if you’ve got more performances coming up.

This article is focused on creating a quick and easy post-show routine for your students after each performance. If everyone chips in and helps out, it shouldn’t take longer than 10–15 minutes after the show ends. For more information about the big clean-up after your final performance (where the set is torn down, the theatre is cleaned from top to bottom, and the space is returned to its regular state — aka, strike), please check out this article: Four Tips for an Effective Strike.

Teachers, share these tasks with your drama students so they know exactly what to do after each performance. Print this page out for students to keep with their scripts, or post it backstage to refer to. Feel free to adapt/eliminate any tasks as appropriate to your show.

1. All students: Complete all your assigned tasks BEFORE you go out into the house to see your friends and family. If one person leaves early, everyone will think they’re allowed to leave early, and then nothing will get done and the backstage will be a disaster. Many hands make light work — if everyone pitches in, then everyone will get to leave on time.

Student actors: Before leaving the dressing area, remove your costume and get back into your personal clothes. Leave all props and equipment backstage; don’t bring anything show-related out into the public area. Technicians, stage management, and front of house can stay in their basic black clothing to complete their tasks, unless they wish to change.

2. All students: Clean up after yourselves! Every student involved in the show must contribute to keeping the theatre and backstage clean and tidy at all times. Clean as you go — you can tidy during the show, when you aren’t onstage, and during intermission.

3. Actors: Care for your costume. The costume team is there to help you, but they aren’t there to pick up after you. Ensure your costume is hung up neatly in its assigned position (on the costume rack, on a labelled hook, etc.) and all your shoes and accessories are accounted for. This will keep you from going back onstage the next day looking like a wrinkled wreck. If any part of your costume is broken or missing, let the costume team know right away.

4. Actors, props team, and assistant stage managers: Check to make sure all props are back in their storage area, especially any props that you yourself handle. Make sure they’ve been retrieved from wherever they were left (backstage, in the wings, onstage, etc.) and in good condition. If they need repairing or a touch-up, let the props team know right away. Make sure any prop weapons are safely stowed away in a locked container.

5. Technicians (lighting, sound, mic assistant, etc.), stage management, and front of house staff: Complete your individual closing duties as directed by the appropriate department head. Make sure all technical equipment is shut down correctly. Remove batteries from microphones. Remove any garbage from your workspace. Make sure any food items are stored safely and/or disposed of. Go through the audience area and pick up any items left behind (snacks, drinks, programmes, lost & found items, etc.). Sweep and/or mop the stage.

6. All students: take all your personal items home with you: backpacks, personal clothing, water bottles, etc.

Student actors may want to take home costume items if they’re sweaty or dirty and wash them, but only do this with express permission from the costume team. They might have a laundry schedule already, and you don’t want to accidentally ruin or forget that item at home.

7. Stage management: Leave a “ghost light” on in the theatre before you shut off all the lights. A ghost light is a small, single-bulbed light (usually a floor lamp of some sort) that shines on the dark stage throughout the night when the theatre is closed and unoccupied. This is not only for superstitious purposes (you’re supposed to leave a light on to keep the “theatre ghost” company even when actors aren’t present in the theatre) but also for practical purposes — this way people don’t trip in the dark. Your school may have different routines for turning off the lights; either way, follow the proper procedure for closing up the theatre.

8. Be sure to SIGN OUT on the attendance form before you leave!

9. If you are meeting with friends or family members in the audience after the show, please keep these visits brief. Don’t linger for ages at the school; someone has to lock up (likely your teacher) and they want to go home too. Arrange to meet with your visitors somewhere out of the theatre after the show.

10. Hydrate and get a good night’s sleep. You need to be rested and ready to do the show again the next day!

What other post-show tasks are your students responsible for completing prior to heading out for the night? Share your ideas with us!