♛Bon soir, mademoiselle…. How jealous am I of your upcoming theatre soirée? It is the appetizer for the actual performance you’re part of, so in a word: Very. I miss the stage. I ache for the spotlights! I miss being part of a cast, and all the bonding and trusting that go along with it. 

I’ll tell you what I told Louis all those years ago, as obvious as it sounds, it must be said: Don’t overthink things. He really did for a long time there, focusing on the mechanics of interactions and trying to come prepared with lines *hand waves* it was all totally unnecessary. Most people are already in a convivial enough mood at these gatherings, more so if they’re given enough sugar or alcohol, all you need do is go with the flow.

This must also be said: Please do not wear jeans. Even if everyone else is. You will stand out as taking it all a little more seriously in a skirt, dress, or really, anything other than jeans. What, are we all farmhands now? I look down the street and I see all these torn jeans, people pay extra for them to be “pre-distressed.” Please. 

(Alright, I buy them like that, too, but I have to blend in! It’s part of the costume to fit in with you people.)

And if you find yourself not engaged in conversation with anyone, that’s fine. It’s sometimes to my benefit to withdraw from these groups to recharge for a moment (to grab a quick drink, you know…).

With the ‘exuding confidence’ part, since you are a practitioner of the theatre, here are a few points that helped me in the beginning:

Walk as if you are leaving melted gold wherever you go. Touch things, like your glass, as if your hands have the same effect. Gently but with intention. Focus your energy and attention on whoever you’re with, but know that you are glowing, even when you are simply listening. Theatre people love to talk, so just listening can have a lot of impact on them.

It’s always good to attend these gatherings with someone you are already close to, I do love dragging Louis or David around with me, but don’t tie yourself down to them. You can break away from them and then rejoin them throughout the evening. 

Find something to compliment one of these new cast members on; jewelry is a good thing, people usually have stories attached to those items. Or a piercing that you find intriguing! Ask if it hurt, they’ll probably give you their reason for doing it, too. 

If you follow that advice, it won’t fail to be a fun experience.

Gather stories from the new cast members.

Treat it like a kind of performance, is what I’m saying!