BWW Blog: 10 Signs You're A Theater Student at Zoom University

1. You're doing full monologues in pajamas

Remember the days when you used to dress up for your midterm or final performances? Well, when you roll out of bed 5 minutes before logging on to class, the best your professor is getting is sweatpants and a hoodie instead of fuzzy Frozen pajama pants and an old show t-shirt. Bonus points if it retying your bathrobe becomes a character choice.

2. Dance classes are weird

If you've ever taken those smelly dance studios that haven't been renovated since the 50's for granted, I bet you're laughing now. I'm currently contemplating whether or not my dresser is sturdy enough to use as a barre.

3. You realize just how much space you normally use in class

When your professors told you to spread out, you didn't realize how much space you actually needed to not knock into your classmates. Replace your classmates with furniture and random obstacles and you have at least one bruise already forming from when you accidentally kicked your night stand. Arms distance apart really is important.

4. Your parents ask what is going on in your room

After years of theater classes, sometimes we forget just how strange these classes actually are. Trying to explain it to your parents is even stranger. What do you mean you talk in gibberish to warm up your voice? Why do you sound like you're yelling from your room? When you're in a classroom on the arts campus, nothing is weird. Your parents disagree.

5. You've mastered the self-tape

Now that in-person auditions have been rendered impossible, everything has turned into a self-tape. You've already scouted out the best lighting, selected your favorite blank wall, and set up a makeshift tripod using anything at your disposal. Your phone may be held up by rubber bands around a stack of textbooks, but you're nailing this thing.

6. What's a senior showcase?

What, too soon?

7. Your professors are constantly sending links to performances online

Do my professors really think after years of watching shaky bootlegs filmed on flip phones that I haven't tracked down and watched every pro-shot musical on the internet? They get so excited to share multiple links a day that I don't think anyone has the heart to tell them. I really do love them for trying to bring theater to their students even when live theater is not available.

8. You're writing more papers than you ever have in your life

No performances to attend? Paper. No class discussions about different acting exercises? Paper. Think they might just scrap that one assignment where you had to work with other classmates in person? Ha ha, you're funny. Paper.

9. You've woken up at least one family member with a morning class

Sorry Mom and Dad, drama classes are loud. If it makes you feel any better, think about how much louder it is when we're all in one room; at least here I can lower my audio.

10. You've already written "proficient in Zoom" under your special skills on your resume

Does that go before or after accents and valid drivers license?