Student Blogger: MJ Kirsche

I remember how stressful and draining the college prescreening process was my senior year of high school. Trying to get the perfect takes, find the perfect lighting, all while trying not to think about the hundreds of other applicants who could’ve had more training or better quality headshots. I was so relieved to finally have it over and have a school picked out to go to… and now I’m doing it again.

As the Summer theatre season is coming to a close, I think about how fortunate I’ve been to see as many shows as I have this year. I’ve been seeing lots of live theatre as of late, including but not nearly limited to The Prom at Playhouse on Park, The Mystery of Edwin Drood at The Goodspeed Theater, and Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club on Broadway. While I try to see shows as often as I can, really taking the time to see as much as I have been lately has really reminded me of the importance and value of seeing live theatre as a performer myself– something I wanted to cover for this month's topics!

As I write this, I’m currently home sick in bed. However! I took the opportunity of time to post a Q&A on my Instagram asking for questions about my journey and careers in the arts! Here I’ll answer some of the questions I was sent

I got home from school two weeks ago, had graduation, and now that my break has finally started… I have a million things to do. While I’m excited to be kicking off a year of no school, coming home for the Summer started what has been a work heavy few weeks of applying for jobs, starting rehearsals for my Summer show, and figuring out how I plan to stay on top of my theatre game while out of school for the upcoming academic year. ​​​​​​​

Surprise! I graduated college! Today marks the one week anniversary of me receiving my Associate’s Degree of Arts in Theatre. While finishing with my Associate’s wasn’t something originally on the bingo card of this school year, it’s something I couldn’t be prouder about and more certain is the right choice for me.

Pocatello was indefinitely the hardest piece I’ve ever worked on, spending a near four months taking a slow Meisner focused process, dropping myself into the lonely world of a small town in Idaho during the 2010s. Our genius director, Andrew Gallant– founder of Green Shirt Studio in Chicago, spent generous amounts of time working a slow paced, piece-by-piece rehearsal process with our cast that centered around not only evoking the emotional life of the characters, but finding the real feeling of the piece in ourselves, which allowed me to find a truth and honesty to performance I have yet to find prior to this show. 

These past few months, I’ve been working harder than I have before on improving my mindset and personal self care regimen. And honestly, it’s been great! I’m feeling happier and healthier than I have before… with only one down side. I’m currently cast in a play at my school, and while I’m very grateful and excited to be, it is very weighted.

With finals week around the corner and a week of auditions ahead of me, earlier this month just when I was starting to reach the most important crunch time of my semester… I tested positive for COVID-19.

Going to school or college for theatre is something meant to prepare performers for the realities of a career in the arts. Unfortunately, one of those realities is not getting cast in every show you audition for. Even in an educational theatre setting, you likely won’t be cast in every show or project you submit for– and that’s totally fine! We’ve all been there. However, just because you may not be cast in this semester's big play or musical doesn’t mean you’re out of performing for the season! Here are some ways you can keep your performance shoes on regardless of your casting status.

Lots of my friends and peers have come to me interested about how I make connections and opportunities for myself, and how they can do the same– this entry is my answer! I’m going to talk about some doors that have recently opened for me and how to kickstart opening them yourself!

Second week into classes, the back-to-school season is up and running! I’m really happy to be back at school doing what I love with the people I love for my second year as a musical theatre major. Being a sophomore, I feel like I definitely have a better hold on navigating things around campus, but there’s also a lot of new additions to my school's performing arts program this year, which is keeping everything (as always) a learning experience!

In my last entry, I covered playwriting tips for outlining and creating the idea for a strong play or musical. Now that we’ve covered how to make a solid plan for the piece you’re trying to write, there comes a time to put that plan into action and give a shot at the writing portion! Here’s my advice on how to kickstart your script and bring your planned piece to life.

Now in college, and having had the opportunity to stage and direct “Mortal Dilemma” at my school, I’ve had lots of my theatre major peers ask me about my writing process and tips on how to create and perfect their own pieces. In this entry I will cover the beginning steps to creating a strong written piece, and how to set up your play (or musical) for success! 

I recently just finished up my run as the icon of female independence, Donna Sheridan, in a Summer production of Mamma Mia!, and my heart has never been so full. This role was one I found so much comfort and healing in, as I hadn’t realized how many parallels between Donna and myself I would find.

This past month, I’ve embarked on a couple different adventures– working with children, being a camp counselor, and helping get a show up on its feet. The rough part about this… I was doing them all at the same time. For the first time. Me and two other women had ten days to get 15 seven year-olds to put on a 20 minute musical, which was quite the show in itself.

With grad season upon us, I find myself having finished my freshman year as a musical theatre major. This year has been one of adventures, stresses, new loves, and new lows– but through all of it I’ve been able to learn so much about myself and the field I hold so dearly. While I miss my life at school and can’t wait to continue it in the Fall, as most of us are, I am home for the summer, and asking myself– what comes next? What happens now that I’m home?

The concept of academic honesty and integrity have shifted a lot over the years – our parents' teachers had to worry about them looking at other students' papers, while ours are up against Google, SparkNotes, and ChatGPT. With the access to answers and media we have nowadays, it can be hard to stay honest when it comes to academics– especially with the common fear of failing a class. However, there are lots of reasons and ways to stay in the clear when it comes to academic integrity and submitting honest, authentic work! 

Imposter syndrome: it’s inevitable. In a field where the “dime-a-dozen” mentality is constantly pushed on us, it can be hard not to compare and doubt yourself. It’s not uncommon to have feelings that you don’t deserve the opportunities you’ve been given, that you’re not good enough, and that you don’t belong. But never fear! Imposter syndrome is something experienced by actors, singers, and dancers everywhere.

In the midst of finals week, I am experiencing (as most students do) burnout. No matter what grade or major you are, it is almost impossible to avoid burnout, between assignments, classes, and finals. For theatre students especially, it can be tough when lots of our work caters towards emotionally charged and physically exerting work, which can affect our energy not only mentally, but also emotionally and physically. While this is a lot to balance, there are ways to manage burnout while also getting your tasks done!

Yesterday I closed my first show of college. Our show, Pippin, meant so much to me, I’m not sure how to begin.