Sneezing & Backstage Etiquette...

So this started as a debate with my hubby.  When you spend as much time as we do in the theater, you pick up habits that carry over into your regular life.  I know you get this...And one of these "carry-overs" for me is sneezing.  Backstage noise is a real pet peeve for me.  Please be mindful if you are back there!  We are ALL working hard to create an illusion here and if suddenly there are noises coming from the great beyond, the gig is up.  I once read that it takes 7-10 minutes for an audience to come back to the play if there is an interruption -- cell phones, dropped props from the wings, closing stage doors...So needless to say when I am back there in the dark waiting to go on at the top or hanging till I get to join in on the action, I do my damnest to keep it quiet.  At all costs.  This includes training myself to keep my sneezing quiet.  I know!!!  I know!!! It is really bad for you.  Well I know now.  Yesterday morning, Bren gave me a real talkin' to regarding this subject and told me just how bad it is for me.  Well of course, I told him I would do a little research and get back to him with my findings...Turns out he was right.  Sort of.  Depending on who you read...But I don't think I will chance it.  Better to err on the side of caution.  Holding in a sneeze is REALLY bad for you.  Here is what I found...

Sneezes are clocked at over 100mph.  WHAT?  Who knew?  So if you hold it in or hold it back where is all that pressure going?  Turns out it is going into your ear canal.  It not only could rupture your ear drums, cause hearing loss over time, cause vertigo, or rupture blood vessels in your eyes, and if that wasn't enough, it could also give you ear infections.    Hmmmm.  Weird.  I get ear infections pretty frequently for a grown up.  It could even cause injury to your diaphragm!  OH! NO!  That's my inner microphone...I can't mess around with that...   I am not sure what to do with this information.  This is not good for me. For any of us!!!   I mean what are we supposed to do now when we are backstage and feel the urge to sneeze??  Well come to find out, Dr. Alan Wild at LiveScience. com and trusty  WebMD  give a few tricks to try....  

** Try breathing through your mouth and pinch the bridge of your nose
** Rub your nose when you first get the urge to sneeze
** Breathe forcefully through your nose
** Press down on your upper lip

I should add Dr Wild is not convinced that the bad side effects from holding in a sneeze always happen.  It could happen to the "unlucky ones."  Bless you~  Which leads me to the superstition...of course, I couldn't leave out that bit... The Greek word for sneeze is pneuma, meaning spirit or soul.  There was an ancient belief that sneezing was a near-death experience which led to the blessing that prevented your spirit  from leaving the body... You can read all about the Etymology of Bless you here... #healthyactors #stayhealthy #actorproblems

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