Prepare to succeed
By Robbie DaleHere’s a little thought…
I was at the theatre last week (a much belated re-acquaintance with Phantom of the Opera if you must know) where I had my interest piqued by the curtain call.
This is the section of the show, that isn’t really a section of the show. The actors are just actors once more, not characters. It’s OK to whistle loudly and stamp your feet. The orchestra can get a little jazzy. Because it isn’t part of the illusion anymore, you also imagine that they don’t really think too much about it. They stride onto the stage all smiles and sweat, taking their order from a list plastered up in the wings, and bowing successfully because, well, it’s easy. But of course this isn’t the case.
When the Phantom, or Raul, or Christine come out onto the stage to soak up their deserved applause, they know exactly what they are doing. This moment of adulation is carefully constructed to draw the best from the audience and ensure the hard work of cast, crew, orchestra (and even the ice cream boy who fetched an extra chocolate pot from the freezer) is held in high regard. Somehow, I don’t think they would get the same reaction if they just ran around aimlessly…
We don’t put on theatrical spectaculars of course, we build conversation. But the principles remain.
If you want to be successful at whatever you do, you have to think about every aspect from beginning, to end. Lose focus, even when it seems like it shouldn’t matter, and never know what effect it may have.
