Student Blog: 2023 Theatrical Highlights

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. As the year comes to a close, I’d like to go over some of the highlights of my theatrical year.

In January of this year, I took my boyfriend to see his very first play and he loved it. I also took him to see his first musical this year. I have exposed him to so much theatre and we’ve really bonded over it.

In February, I had track placements for junior year.  For my junior year I would either do a deep dive into Shakespeare or physical theatre. I got placed into the Shakespeare track, which is what I wanted. I was excited for the training to come.

In March, Patti LuPone came to my college, LIU Post, and did a masterclass. I got to watch her work with some of our seniors, and it was a very educational session. I came out of it with reassurance about changing keys and a better regard for boundary practices.

In April, I committed to going to the Stella Adler Conservatory  for the summer. I was very nervous because it was going to be a big commitment, both of my time and of my finances.

In May, I got ready for the Stella Adler Conservatory. I was gearing up for living in my own apartment for the first time. I have lived on my own in dorms, but never truly on my own in a city apartment. I was nervous, but I kept reading about the Stella Adler Conservatory and I was very excited. 

In June, I moved into my summer apartment and started the conservatory. I had no idea that I was actually in for the best summer of my life. I learned about movement, Shakespeare, improv, acting (of course), and so much more.

By July, I had made life-long friends. I was doing it: living on my own, managing my schedule, remembering to take care of myself, and everything a real adult does. I thought, hey, I could really do this whole theatre thing. And then the crisis set in. I didn’t know if I wanted to do directing or acting. I switched my major from musical theatre to acting so that I could have more time for directing. It was scary looking at an uncertain future.

In August, I became more confident in my decision. I started to prepare to assistant direct Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus at LIU Post. I had no idea how much I would love it.

In September, I started my junior year of acting school. I was taking classes that would stretch me more than college had stretched me before (in a good way). Men on Boats was in full swing, and I was loving every second of it.

In October, we put up Men on Boats. I was so proud of the cast and the creative team for all that we accomplished. I also worked on a soliloquy from Henry VI part 1 by Shakespeare. It was 29 lines, and I was intimidated. I ended up really liking it.

In November, I worked on a monologue from Troilus and Cressida by Shakespeare. It was a comedic monologue. I’ve never considered myself good at comedy, but people seemed to like it and that grew my confidence.

In December, I worked on a VERY comedic Shakespeare monologue from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to stretch myself even more. Low and behold, people loved it and I grew my confidence in my comedy even more! I also came to an important realization: that I could be an actor AND a director. I was reassured that I am on the right path.

This has been a year of ups and downs, but I have been able to channel it into my art, and that has served me well. Here’s to more highlights in 2024! Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in the next post.