In todays blog, we discuss the common feeling of burnout and ways that we can overcome that feeling while find time for ourselves!

Although the internship search can be daunting, the payoff from a summer in the professional world is immeasurable. With the right combination of proactivity, organization, tailored materials, and a positive attitude, you can turn the process into a meaningful step in your future career.

I have been told many times the various ways to avoid burnout. Here is something I have learned in 3 ½ years of a BFA program; you really can’t. That’s not meant to be discouraging. Burnout is just going to happen when you have a schedule that is constantly one or two things all the time. So instead, I propose making plans to get out of burnout.

Burnout seems to have become a staple of the college student archetype – especially in the arts. From classes to rehearsals to auditions to internship interviews to job hunting to social plans to networking, pursuing an educational path in the theatre world is not for the faint of heart. When checking in with friends, “burnt out” is the standard assumption I make about my peers’ well-being, as it’s so normalized in our small but mighty world. Even when I have a fleeting moment to spend time with my roommate, who is a brilliant flutist in our university’s instrumental performance program, she appears to be just as exhausted and busy as the rest of my artistic friends. So, why is this? 

The whole day was one of pure bliss and nostalgia. I remembered bits and pieces from when I was younger, but there was something wonderful abut seeing it with older, more mature eyes. We conquered both California Adventure and Disneyland in one day which I found to be very sufficient.

This semester, my home has been the 19th district of Vienna, Austria. I haven’t stepped foot in America in 110 days. In this blog, I will share what my experience has looked like and what it has taught me... and maybe convince you to study abroad!

No matter how comfortable I became in a theatrical environment, there was always something in me that was extremely anti-improv. I guess I always wanted to know exactly what to say. It was always an odd experience, I would always feel stupid for not knowing the funniest/best thing to say in the moment. I would envy the people who could do it freely and comedically. 

Before coming to Loyola University Chicago, I knew essentially nothing about the school’s theatre program. So, I present to you a glimpse into the world of theatre at Loyola University Chicago and things I wish I knew when applying!

It’s one thing to be a member of different on-campus organizations, but it’s another thing to actually be involved. As I’ve stated before, my freshman year was a lot of trial and error. To this day, I’m still on email lists for clubs I don’t attend.

At the end of the day actors, professional or not, are all those same kids who would make up plays to perform at family gatherings, would break into song whenever so moved during recess, and dance like no one is watching even if everyone is. Letting that inner child run free onstage is a gift and it makes your performance that much better.

As I roll into the final weeks of school before finals, the world seems to be sending me different challenges from every direction all at once. Can I survive the home stretch of class on top of the bleak Chicago weather? Let's find out!

That’s how I got started writing plays. I have never taken a playwriting class, I’m about to next semester, and I still don’t quite know what I’m doing. But I know that I love it.

At the start of my freshman year, I didn’t get involved in any clubs or organizations, even though I had always been involved in several extracurricular activities at a time since elementary school and Temple has plenty of music and theater performance clubs. At the time, I was feeling insecure about my theater abilities and I was worried I would not get into any if I auditioned, so I just did not audition at all.

Student Blogger Piper Greisl recently performed in a production of 'Cabaret' in Tallahassee, Florida. In this article, she reflects on her personal experience in the show, as well as the importance of pieces of art like 'Cabaret'.

One of the worst bad-faith criticisms you can find of anything is the idea that something was “too political” or “had an agenda” and is therefore not something you should engage with. It infuriates me to no end. In addition to being a dog whistle that feels more like a foghorn, it is contradictory to what makes art art.

The past year has been a constant learning experience for me as an artist. I suffered a back injury in November of 2023 that still causes me great pain every day. My time as a performer up until then was done with an able body. Accordingly, the tools for keeping pace with my world are never static and certainly aren’t one-size-fits-all. 

Sometimes the motivation for getting work done can be found in finding a good place to get work done. In my case, and that of many theatre students in New York City, that place is the Drama Bookshop.

Though course registration can be one of the most stressful times of year, I also think it’s the most fun! I love looking through all of my options and picking my ideal schedule. In this post, I’ll walk you through how I go about crafting my schedule.

I have a lot going on this semester, which has been both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I’m finally taking classes I’ve been looking forward to, I have not one but two wonderful jobs that I love, and I have been directing Little Women this semester, which has been a huge milestone in my college career. On the other hand, there’s still only 24 hours in the day. I will admit, managing my full schedule has been a challenge because time management is not my strong suit, but I have discovered tools that have helped me improve my time management skills over time.

Recently, I've had to step back from theater which was fine until I went to see a show. Faced with a sense of absence, I reflected a bit and remembered how theater isn't just experienced on a stage.

In todays blog, we discuss the two main steps that you need to take in order to acquire the sustainable funding for your visual and performing arts programs.

Playwriting is a passion of mine that I hold very dearly, and plan on keeping in my life into my professional career. And of course, with this comes the dreams of having my work published and produced regionally, something that’s always been a dream of mine. These past two months, I felt a skyrocket for my career when for the first time I opened my email inbox to a formal rights request for one of my short plays.

Why do we create art? This broad yet poignant question is always plaguing the minds of performing arts practitioners, especially in light of trying and divisive global events. For some, art serves as a pure creative outlet, but for me, it has become a means to bridge performance and philanthropy, creating a tangible impact beyond the arts sector.

Each student’s approach to staying sane in the busiest times of the year is different, and it’s important to find the cocktail that works for you. Through a combination of proactivity, digital organization, and creative outlets, I’ve managed to achieve an array of goals throughout my collegiate education.

Student blogger Piper Greisl explains how she balances attending university full-time with a job at a local theatre, rehearsals for shows she performs in, and more.