Author Topic: Mind Games  (Read 8682 times)

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Amie

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Mind Games
« on: Jan 06, 2010, 08:15 pm »
Ha! I thought I would post this and wondered if theater has affected anyone else's perceptions in this way:

I bought a word puzzle book for the plane ride back to school from visiting my family for the holidays.  One of the puzzles was a jumble of letters that had to be de-coded, by following instructions.  The instructions were "remove the first letter from the right" or "swap the third letter on the left and the first vowel on the right."  etc etc.

I was halfway through the puzzle when I realized that I was mixing up the right and left as stage right and stage left, mixing up the directions completely. So anytime I was instructed to modify a letter from the right, I did it on the left (stage left!).

I found great humor in that.... and I never did finish that puzzle.

Has something like this happened to anyone else, where certain things become so second nature but they only really apply to the stage?
~ Amie ~

“This whole creation is essentially subjective, and the dream is the theater where the dreamer is at once: scene, actor, prompter, stage manager, author, audience, and critic.”

PSMKay

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Re: Mind Games
« Reply #1 on: Jan 06, 2010, 08:36 pm »
I can remember driving around Providence back in college with a group of theatre folk.  We had to navigate using relative terms: "Ok, turn towards Christy.  OK, now turn towards Kay."  Otherwise we'd wind up going the wrong way constantly for this exact reason.

babens

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Re: Mind Games
« Reply #2 on: Jan 07, 2010, 01:35 am »
Most of my friends now know to look to see which way I'm pointing when I'm giving directions in the car, as I will often point to my right while saying turn left, especially when sleep deprived.

Tempest

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Re: Mind Games
« Reply #3 on: Jan 07, 2010, 10:55 am »
Being right handed, but raised by a left handed mother, I was already screwed up about directions before SR and SL even came into it!  I learned a trick drilling with the marching band in high school.  If you're in a situation where directions are and issue, squeeze your left fist tightly as a physical reminder of "left."
Of course, I right "SR" and "SL" really big on the upper interior corners of my script binders, so I don't have to think!
Jessica: "Of course I have a metric size 4 dinglehopper in my kit!  Who do you think I am?"

centaura

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Re: Mind Games
« Reply #4 on: Jan 07, 2010, 09:06 pm »
Quote
Has something like this happened to anyone else, where certain things become so second nature but they only really apply to the stage?

I kinda view my maglight and leatherman in this category.  I tried to go without them the first time I got home from tour (as in 'yeah, I'm on break - I can take the tools off'), but found that it was so ingrained in me to reach for them, even when not at work, that I finally gave up and wear them all the time - whether I'm at the theatre or not.

-Centaura

Tempest

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Re: Mind Games
« Reply #5 on: Jan 08, 2010, 02:00 pm »
I kinda view my maglight and leatherman in this category.  I tried to go without them the first time I got home from tour (as in 'yeah, I'm on break - I can take the tools off'), but found that it was so ingrained in me to reach for them, even when not at work, that I finally gave up and wear them all the time - whether I'm at the theatre or not.

-Centaura

If someone asks me for the time, I'll reach for my chest...whether or not I'm wearing my stopwatch...
Jessica: "Of course I have a metric size 4 dinglehopper in my kit!  Who do you think I am?"

Amie

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Re: Mind Games
« Reply #6 on: Jan 08, 2010, 09:58 pm »

If someone asks me for the time, I'll reach for my chest...whether or not I'm wearing my stopwatch...
Ah! I have done this as well, wearing a nametag on a lanyard around my neck.  It' just falls in the same place as my stopwatch so I referred to it quite a bit when checking for the time. Ha!
~ Amie ~

“This whole creation is essentially subjective, and the dream is the theater where the dreamer is at once: scene, actor, prompter, stage manager, author, audience, and critic.”

deletedoldnotanymore

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Re: Mind Games
« Reply #7 on: Jan 08, 2010, 11:25 pm »
I reply "Thank You X" to so much these days.  Just the other night:

"Guys, shut up, I'm starting the movie!" "Thank you movie."

sievep

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Re: Mind Games
« Reply #8 on: Jan 11, 2010, 03:32 am »

Of course, I right "SR" and "SL" really big on the upper interior corners of my script binders, so I don't have to think!
I'm so glad I'm not the only person who does this.
"This lovely light, it lights not me" - Orson Welles

smarielle.goldstein

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Re: Mind Games
« Reply #9 on: Jan 11, 2010, 10:57 am »
I have found that when hanging out with my SM friends we tend to bake since it is a sort of therapy for us. When getting ready to put the goodies in the oven we give each other standbys for starting the timer for the oven... Our non SM friends think it is hilarious... It is just second nature at his point.