Preventing Actor Burnout through a Mental Health and Wellness Curriculum

Abstract

This paper looks at the need for a mental health and wellness curriculum for students in actor training programs. Burnout and mental health struggles are a huge concern in the field of professional theatre. It is a uniquely demanding profession, and the strains and stresses that come with a career in theatre often lead to mental health issues, which many performers feel unequipped to address. Theatre creates a means of expression that is unrivaled outside of the arts, but the demands of the profession combined with the vulnerability that theatre-making necessitates can create a difficult environment in which to thrive. This paper proposes a curriculum that allows young actors to do just that, fostering more fruitful careers, with less risk of burnout. The curriculum that is outlined in this paper consists of components such as developing a meditation practice, cultivating and maintaining healthy relationships, physical health for actors, developing mental flexibility, and goal-setting and personal growth. This paper and curriculum are based on existing research in the field of mental health and the mental health needs of actors, interviews with mental health professionals, actors, and professors of theatre, and the author’s experiences as an actor and educator.