Student Blogger: Lauren Brown

Everyone who loves theatre remembers that first show they saw that really solidified their passion, or the first time they stepped out onto the stage themselves. Whether it’s a physical collection of Playbills or simply memories to be cherished forever, it’s important to reflect and look back on those important moments

When I first heard the news that Larson’s musical was going to be adapted into a film for Netflix, my heart skipped a beat and my love for Tick Tick Boom resurfaced in an overwhelming way. His other and much more popular musical Rent has been a long time favorite of mine, but there’s something about the intimacy and relatability of his first show. Written as a semi-autobiographical musical and even using his own name for the main character, the show is really Larson’s personal story about living as a starving artist in New York City.

When I decided to take a class on Shakespeare that first quarantined semester, I figured it would be the same as the rest. I was familiar with the Bard as I had read some of his plays throughout high school, and I thought the class would be one I’d breeze through and maybe learn a thing or two about tragedy vs comedy. I had no idea at the time that my entire outlook on the pandemic would be changed from just one class, or that I would learn so much about how the world of theatre was coping.