This is an advertisement
The touring life ain’t easy, but we polled the pros for their tips on surviving the ultimate road trip on a national tour. These actors have mastered the art of the bus-and-truck lifestyle. This edition of Road Rules features Marilyn Caskey, who plays the authoritarian figure Madame Morrible in the national tour of Wicked. Caskey filled out our questionnaire and shared her tips for mastering the road.
The most efficient packing lessons I’ve learned are:
I love organizing my belongings in clear plastic boxes in my trunk labeled “kitchen,” “toiletries,” “desk” and “fitness supplies.” Clear boxes make it quicker to put items in the correct area when unpacking. I can’t say enough about clear plastic boxes.
The fantasy vehicle I wish I could travel from city to city in:
My fantasy vehicle would be First Class.
The quickest way to make a hotel room feel homey:
I put all my sleep aids on my nightstand. I use earplugs—orange spongy ones, so I can find them easily when they get lost in the sheets. Sleep masks are useful—the soft one made by Bucky. To take away that smell of hotel laundry, I put lavender drops on my pillow. I have to have my pink beanie neck pillow that I cuddle with, because it loves and understands me. I take an herbal sleeping remedy. It’s actually better than the controlled substance prescription I used for a long time and it’s much easier to come by. Have you ever tried to take a controlled substance from state to state? It’s a real hassle.
The quickest way to make a dressing room feel like home:
Everyone in this cast has their own talismans in their dressing room. When I began this tour, I was walking on the beach with a castmate and found a little plastic warrior. I gave it to my friend and she gave me a little, plastic, yellow man with a parachute attached. In every dressing room I go to, I hang that on my mirror. The longer you are on the road, you start to jettison items you thought were essential, but a little yellow man with a parachute goes everywhere.
My method of staying fit while traveling is:
I have a fitness box, which is full of workout paraphernalia, such as fitness DVDs, yoga straps, tennis balls, flex bands, etc. I have traveled with this stuff for almost three years and have never use it. However, I look up Pilates classes as soon as I get to a new city and try to go there.
See Caskey when Wicked lands in Baltimore from October 3 through November 4.
