Does anyone have experience with post-production aftermath in the form of stress? Could you share your experience on how you cope and overcome the stress/trauma?

Thanks!!

I think anyone will tell you there is often a period of funk, or even a slight depression after a show.  For me, it comes especially after a good show, where you don't want it to end.  All of a sudden the routinne is gone and all the people you have  been "Living" with the last six to eight weeks are (at least temporarily) out of your life...  My first time was when I was a freshman in college.. way back in the early 70's... I was tasked to direct our freshman class play as part of my speech class grade... I had a great time, but there was obiously a lot of stress.. The show played on the last night of school, before a big break.  Immediatly after the show, we went home for a couple weeks.  I laid in the back seat of the car and cried all the way home.. I never really knew quite why.. that is until I took up a life of CT...

On the other hand, there are those shows in which I count (often with glee) how many days till its OVER...

Have had a chance to rethink my prior response.  Even though that response is exactly what's happening to me now, your original post has haunted me for the last couple of hours away from my computer.

What first got me into the theatre and acting was to escape from my reality.  At that time there was no wife, no yard, little in the way of solace and a heartload full of troubles.  I decided to audition as an avenue to get away from my "real life." It worked!  It also became addictive, jumping from one show immediately into another, a continuous flow of theatrical "therapy" with no links or relationships to my previous troubles. 

That period of my life indeed caused stress when I was away from the theatre and the only way I knew to deal with it was keep busy with more shows.  After a while, I realized the therapy had worked: I had a whole new attitude, approach, and focus and the old troubles, while not being eliminated, no longer held me in their chains.

Please forgive any casualness or flippancy my previous post may have seemed to give; my heartfelt sympathy with your woes and my assurances that the stress can be dealt with, I am a perfect example.

As before, hope all goes well.

Eagle100, You sound exhausted. You said "shows". How many have you done without a break? Take some time for yourself. If you are so tired that you are not enthusiastic, step back. Miss the theater a little. It will be so much better when you go back.

I did my last 6 shows with no breaks. You said "And another one is coming up." Trust me I know that feeling, and I now about feeling 40 years older. There were days when I would stand outside the theater and not want to go in. That wasn't good, so I stopped for awhile. It was/ is the best medicine for me. Do theater for fun. Do it to complete the artistic creative side of you. Do it because it is a great place to meet nice people. But for heaven's sake don't do it because you feel like you have to.  It's too much work to not be fun.

Take care of yourself.

Linda

Well, it helps to know that there are other people out there who have similar experiences. So it's not that I did something terrible or 'wrong' or I was 'stupid' (even though the show was a success and the students obviously benefited). It did make me wonder whether perhaps I've used the wrong approach or something.

I know it's rest and taking time off but I haven't been able to do that so well. And I'm getting impatient for 'it' to pass.