Surviving the Post Traumatic OAP Disorder

For some of us our OAP season was “short lived” so to speak, even though in our minds it was a state show, and if only the adjudicator would have seen it through our eyes. At contest, when the contest manager calls out all of the awards including the two advancing shows and then you kind of hold your breath and pray that your school will be next, but then your exhale and find that your not an advancing show. We then load ourselves onto our busses and head home, empty handed, no advancing play plaque, and 15+ heart broken children. You typically say an uplifting speech, send them home, and then “it” begins. My professional colleagues and I call “it” --Post Traumatic One Act Play Disorder.

I am no doctor, but listed are the typical warning signs of this disorder:

1. PTOAPD usually begins with a director finding the nearest corner and crying--away from our children. (Side Note: Its kind of funny thinking of a 30 year old man crying in a corner listening to Celine Dion belt “All By Myself.”) 
2. After this happens you may find yourself eating obsessively, especially foods high in fat, contain ridiculous amounts of sugar, and foods that may put a person in diabetic coma in the near future. 
3. You become reclusive. 
4. Your friends will send you text messages about why you are not responding to text messages. 
5. On a typical day your mother calls you five times, but during PTOAPD she doesn’t even call once. 
6. You find yourself sitting by yourself wanting to blame somebody. 
7. You are bitter. 
8. You question your career choices. 
9. You feel like you have hit rock bottom. 

These typical warning signs will go away in 3 days to 5 years. (Why 5 years? I’m still bitter about a contest 5 years ago.)

Prognosis: I feel the best way I get over something is to start something new. I start planning for next year. I realize that the schools with advancing plays are dear friends of mine and that I must be happy for them because I know they would do the same for me. Going to the UIL OAP state meet helps. As soon as the Regional OAP competitors are posted on the UIL website, I order and read the shows off the list. Bonding time with your companies is strongly encouraged, because they are hurting and want answers. I sign up for SummerFest — it sparks new growth. I know that it gets better with time and love from your friends, family, and school. Know that those kids think that you have hung the moon, trophy or not. Please know that they are willing to do it all over again, because they love you, love the process, and love the art of Theatre.

Cody Moore
TETA K-12 Committee
HS Interest Chair