Liz Foster’s Practical Tips to Balance Work and Love (and Life)

Today I’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Foster. In addition to acting at The Wardrobe Dinner Theatre, you’ll often find her with a camera strapped around her neck. Still, since it’s February and love is in the air, I thought I’d ask Liz about mixing romance with the theater.

Theater romances are unique. Of course, there’s the typical proximity factor because the cast spends so much time together during rehearsals and performances. However, sometimes an onstage romance between two characters bleeds over into a backstage attraction too, but those usually don’t last because it’s hard to tell when the acting ends and reality begins.

It sounds like you’ve had personal experience.

Unfortunately. Last fall I dated a guy in the company, but as soon as my contract was ending, he dumped me for his new co-star. Sometimes it actually works out, like for my roommate Dani and her trumpet-playing boyfriend Alex (from Dance Over Me)…but finding someone who understands your passion and supports your dream makes all the difference.

Rumor has it you’ve found a special someone.

(Blushing) True. Ryan Callahan is a freelance photographer who is temporarily based in town. We met of his idea to take pictures of the dinner theater guests before our Christmas show. After he asked me to help, we spent a lot of time together every weekend at the theater plus at a few other photo shoots. However, after Christmas, we needed to settle into a new routine.

How do you balance your busy work schedule and his while building a relationship?

It’s not easy but he’s worth it. (Grinning) First, we make sure to schedule time together away from the “office” or in our case, photography, because we need to know our relationship is built on more than work. We’ll do lunch on my day off, dinner with his family, or even coffee and dessert while we debrief after a shoot. My guy likes to eat. (Laughing)

Then, when we can’t physically spend time together because of our schedules, Ryan’s great about text messages to show he’s thinking about me. We also stay connected through late night phone calls where sharing about our day’s highs and lows draws us closer together.

Last, surprises keep us out of the rut of a routine. A small gift, a bit of humor, or a Saturday morning breakfast before I go to the theater all keep the spark fresh.

How did you get to be so smart?

Partially from watching my roommate and her boyfriend make their backstage romance work. But also from watching Ryan’s sister and her deployed husband figure out how to keep their relationship strong across an ocean.

Quick question for the rest of you. Do you have any tips to share with the rest of us?

— Candee

Candee Fick is a multi-published author in both fiction and non-fiction. She is also the wife of a high school football coach and the mother of three children, including a daughter with a rare genetic syndrome. When not busy with her day job, writing, or coaching other authors, she can be found cheering on the home team at sporting events, exploring the great Colorado outdoors, indulging in dark chocolate, and savoring happily-ever-after endings through a good book.