Behind the Curtain at Theatre RN; Summer Edition

It’s hard to believe we are already halfway through the summer.

Our dog Elphaba soaking in the Summer Vibes

What's on my mind:

Sacrificing your emotional or physical well-being for our entertainment

As I write this letter, Simone Biles has stepped back from competition. I read this post on Facebook this morning (excerpt):

“Today Simone Biles--the greatest gymnast of all time--chose to step back from the competition, citing concerns for mental and physical health. I've already seen comments and posts about how Biles "failed her country", "quit on us", or "can't be the greatest if she can't handle the pressure." Those statements are no different than Coach Karolyi telling an injured teen with wide, frightened eyes: "We got to go one more time. Shake it out."

The subtext here is: "Our gold medal is more important than your well-being."

Our athletes shouldn't have to destroy themselves to meet our standards. If giving empathetic, authentic support to our Olympians means we'll earn less gold medals, I'm happy to make that trade.

Here's the message I hope we can send to Simone Biles: You are an outstanding athlete, a true role model, and a powerful woman. Nothing will change that. Please don't sacrifice your emotional or physical well-being for our entertainment or national pride. We are proud of you for being brave enough to compete, and proud of you for having the wisdom to know when to step back. Your choice makes you an even better example to our daughters than you were before. WE'RE STILL ROOTING FOR YOU!” -Byron Heath, Educator

I was struck that the way we treat our athletes are no different than the way the Broadway/ Musical Theatre industry treats performers. When I started my business coaching and educating people about health in Musical Theatre, I got a lot of eye rolling. I heard comments like “this is part of the industry”. I had a client say that people who need “mental health days” aren’t hard workers. Pushing oneself to the brink of physical and mental collapse is worn like a badge of honor. In fact, I am coaching people right now who are putting in 18–20-hour days to pull of summer shows.

This message to Simone is the same message I have for every performer in the theatre industry. Do NOT sacrifice your emotional or physical well-being for our entertainment.

It’s become an industry where women are expected to belt 8 shows a week. No matter if your voice is shot in a couple of years. There is another eager belter standing in the wings to wear that badge of honor. Emotional and Physical wellness has not historically been a priority in the industry.

Therefore, Theatre RN exists. I believe physical and emotional wellbeing CAN co-exist in theatre. There are a few health warriors like me out there. We can’t do it alone though. It starts with people standing up like Simone Biles and saying I am making my health a priority. It starts with theatre programs and theatre companies taking health seriously. Whether you are an athlete or a performer, your body is your brand. Without your body you are nothing. Without your health you are nothing.

What I am up to:

100 Day Challenge:

One of my mentors is kicking off a 100 Day Challenge; 100 Days of doing any personal goal straight for 100 Days. I encourage you to do your own 100-day challenge. What can you work on that would better your health or help you move toward your purpose?

The challenge can be big or small. Whatever it is, you must work on it every day for 100 days.

It can be consistently getting up at a certain time each day. It can be having a meaningful conversation with your significant other each day. It can be working on doing a handstand each day. Maybe you need to eat more vegetables each day. Maybe it's no alcohol for 100 days. Think about what you need to improve on right now and start there. If you skip a day, don’t quit. Tack on a day at the end.

August 1st to November 9th. That is 100 days. What will you do?

100 Days is also the perfect time to commit to a coaching program. 100 Days is 8 sessions with me. Two sessions a month. Contact me how coaching is personalized to your needs and pricing. Covid has had us all pressing the reset button. Reset starts now. What will the next version of you look like?

I am doing my own re-boot with an 8 week intensive course led by my friend Becky Schoonover to dig deep into what is blocking me from achieving my goals.

Book Recommendation:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

I find myself coming back to this book lately. It is a fictional story yet so thought producing. My coach talks a lot about reaching your purpose and the different versions of you that are out there in the Universe. Midnight Library is a fictional story about a women who finds herself in a library where the books are all different versions of her life. She opens different books and lives those lives for some time. It is a thought-provoking book about how who we meet and the paths we chose lead us down a certain life. We have the power though to make different decisions or change our path to our purpose and best self.

What I have been cooking this summer:

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats

We grow Zucchini in our garden in the summer. We often find ourselves with more zucchini than we can eat. We make a lot of chocolate Zucchini muffins. This summer one of our go-to recipes has been Stuffed Zucchini. I google most recipes nowadays and modify to my personal taste. I uses some Pasta sauce and fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes right now. Here is the one I have been using most this summer:

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Things to Try:

Have you ever wanted to try essential oils or natural cleaning, skincare or makeup products, but weren't sure where to start?

I've got you covered. My favorite brand is Young Living. I've been using their products for 7 years. Young Living always came out on top for their quality and effectiveness. Love that they have clean products - everything from cleaning products to skincare to makeup... and of course essential oils.

All my skin care products and household products are from Young Living. Half of the Supplements I take are also from Young Living. I stand behind these products and the Young Living commitment to clean ingredients.

Right now everything is 10% off now through July 31. You don't even have to get a starter kit. Order anything you want and get that discount. Use code JULY10 at checkout.

If you spend 100 PV or get anything on a subscription, you'll also get an additional 24% off that you can use for future orders too.

Here is my referral link for purchasing through the website:

Young Living Referral Link