A little mental health advice from a Theatre Major

By Alexis Bensoussan

I have always been told that you have to “fake it ‘til you make it” if you want to get through hard times.

I hate this advice.

I struggle with the concept of pretending to be fine because it feels so disingenuous.

As a theatre artist, I have struggled with mental health and not feeling good enough for years. Only recently did I figure out one way to help guide me through those negative thoughts – find something else that inspires you to be happy.

Each morning, I prepare myself for the day ahead of me. A day full of theatre classes.

Last semester, my weeks were filled with all sorts of theatre classes–musical theatre scene study, cabaret, musical theatre dance and technique, costume design and construction, applied voice, theatre arts capstone. Plus Alpha Psi Omega meetings, work study rehearsals and soprano sectionals. And then I had my one journalism class.

Oh my gosh. My whole life has morphed into theatre.

My mental health in theatre has been at a low lately, and it has become difficult to navigate it with the pressures that theatre puts on a person.

I have realized that sometimes you genuinely just need a break.

One of the biggest mental health advocates in theatre I know is Cara Rose DiPietro. Well, I don’t personally know her, but I love following her journey through her Instagram videos.

She is a New York City based actress with a kind heart and a knack for knowing just what to say to aspiring actors who seek her advice.

DiPietro did a TedTalk where she opened up about her experiences in theatre. In her opening, she reflected on a therapy session that took place before she moved to New York City after college.

“I just wish I could have had someone to look to,” she said. “Someone who was not on the other side of all this, but someone who was actively fighting to put themself first in an industry that often tells us not to.”

This struck me. Put myself first? No way! I didn’t even know how to start with that.

DiPietro went on to share her struggle with an eating disorder and how the toxic environment of theatre was part of the problem.

This resonated so much with me because for years, I’ve gone through a lot of the same things. The performance industry can be so cruel about how you look and can weigh you down with its standards of being “perfect.”

Everyone says to just “fake it ‘til you make it.” But on days where you don’t have that fight in you, faking it is the last thing you want to do.

2024 was a really difficult year. Facing rejection, feeling envious of others around me and battling the fear that I’m not good enough to do this.

But when those little DiPietro videos pop up in my feed, they are a reminder that I am not alone in those feelings and that the words I say to myself matter.

The thing is, you don’t need to be the “most” talented or skilled person in the room. You don’t need to be the best. So what’s the use of comparing yourself to others? You will be recognized for your kindness over any talent you could ever have.

In a field where prioritizing your mental health gets overlooked, it is so helpful to find someone to look to for guidance. I found my theatre gal, now go out and find yours–whether you are into theatre or sports or books or anything else, you don’t have to go through this alone.

It is incredibly important to find something to keep you going when it gets tough, whether it be a person or an activity or just taking a break.

When you finish an audition, go get your sweet treat. Put positive sticky notes all over your room. Watch a relatable TikTok video (but don’t doom scroll). Go on a walk and take in the beautiful world God has graced us with. The little things are what matter.

Let’s go into 2025 with a positive mindset. Give yourself grace when something isn’t perfect, and be kind to yourself. Sometimes, a little break from the norm is all you need to remember that.