My aerial partner Angela and I were going straight from India to Portugal, where we were to begin a two month contract at the Casino Estoril. FABULOUS! We were so careful while in India – only ate steaming cooked foods, drank bottled water, etc. Our flight to Portugal was fine, and the next morning we hung our trapeze and settled in up there for about 10 minutes while they focused our lights. It was then that disaster struck. Let’s just say that it was the longest 10 minutes of our lives, and the rest of the day wasn’t pretty. So, what if this had been a show day? When are you too sick to go on? Grab your Pepto and read on.

How Sick is Too Sick?

Now, let’s be clear. When I say “illness”, I don’t mean ebola. If the phrase “do you want me to hold your hair” is in play, hanging upside down is probably not in your immediate future. Generally speaking, if you are sick enough to know yourself to be unsafe, there is no question – you cannot perform.

How To Get Through That Show

A cold or mild upset is another story if calling in a swing or sitting this one out is out of the question. Now, I can’t tell you what YOU should do, but I can tell you what has worked for us in the past.

• If we were battling congestion, aches, etc., we used an over the counter fever reducer like Tylenol & a decongestant spray like Afrin (avoid system-wide cold meds like the plague when you’re performing – they dry you out and really do a number on you). This generally kept our heads from exploding when we went upside down, and got us through a number of shows.
• Saline nasal sprays have been helpful too for light congestion
• Day of the show, rest as much as you can and hydrate like mad
• Wear a mask backstage if you’re contagious, and distance yourself so you don’t infect the whole cast. Nobody wants your cooties.
• We found that the adrenaline of performing often made us feel better! For about 15 minutes anyway….

How To Cancel That Show

 My general rule is this: if you’re so sick that you would give up concert tickets you stayed up for four days to get, you’re too sick to perform. Your safety has to be the priority. Give the people who hired you as much of a heads up as you can. If you can line up a replacement for yourself, so much the better!  You should have an injury or illness clause in your contract that essentially says that if you are very ill or injured at the time of the show, you are released from your contract.

Take two and call me in the morning, lovelies! Love and pull-ups, Laura

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