At my university, one of the performing arts clubs, Dramatic PAWS, is producing Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic. For those unaware, the play tells the story of Hogwarts during Harry Potter's years from the perspective of the Hufflepuffs. I’m an avid Harry Potter fan, so naturally, I felt compelled to audition. Here’s a breakdown of how it went.

Studying abroad has been like one giant whirlwind so far. I have had the privilege of having so many new experiences and incredible moments, so I thought I would share a few of my most cherished!

The first time I did a show for more than one night, our director told us not to fall victim to the 'Sophomore Slump'. Now as an actual college sophomore in her second semester, the warning still rings true,

Hello y’all! For the next couple of months, I’m shining a light on one of the coolest parts of UC San Diego’s theatre department. Every spring quarter features a culmination of artistry that brings grads and undergrads together from all theatrical disciplines: the Wagner New Play Festival. The engine that revs the festival to life is the cohort of MFA playwrights. Each of them spends fall and winter quarters working on a piece ahead of its world premiere production in the spring. We have five playwrights this year, so this article is the start of a five-part series where I’ll be sitting down for a conversation with each of them. I hope reading these will be half as much fun as I had putting this together. 

So far, I am loving UCF. Although the transfer process was very stressful, finding a school that caters to exactly what I want to do is so amazing.

For as long as I can remember I have been performing in some capacity. I was always humming a tune around the house or bopping from dance class to dance class with my younger cousin Adeline. My parents thought it was important to immerse me in the arts from a young age and for that, I am forever grateful.

Growing up in a small beach town, opportunities in the arts and humanities were slim to none, so moving to a city like Orlando has broadened my horizons with what I can pursue. I’m currently working towards my bachelor’s degree in English Literature with a minor in Theatre and a certificate in Editing and Publishing, so my schedule is far from light!

Hi there, and welcome to my first ever blog post! My name is Eva Viciana, and I’m so excited to share my journey in the world of entertainment with you all! Currently, I’m studying Entertainment Business at Oklahoma City University.

As a senior in high school who is anxiously awaiting the beginning of her BFA musical theater journey, I'm trying to savor every last moment of high school.

Meet Maxwell 'Max' DeVivo, one of our new student bloggers! In this blog, he shares what theatrical projects he's currently working on, how he got into acting, singing & performing, as well as his experiences in joining a performing arts high school as an acting freshman major. Read the article to learn more!

2025, while proceeding achingly slowly and all-too-quickly all at once, is in full swing. It is proving to be a year of discovery and new opportunities. In the coming months, I am going to continue doing that work. I hope to slowly find my footing and gain more confidence. I want to continue finding my voice, both metaphorically and literally, and developing this craft which I hope to one day be able to call mine.

I'm a performer of 15+ years turned journalism major, and I love it. Come and hear about my journey: from LaDuca's to the limelight, and everything in between.

Meet Joe Shoen, One of our student bloggers for the Fall/Winter season! Read about his experience in the performing arts and learn about the newest production he has taken on.

As mentioned in my latest article, I’ve written a musical! I’ve written several chunks of musicals and more MT style songs than I can count, but for the first time I’m actually doing it! This is the one I want to be my first composer/songwriter debut, opposed to the several plays I’ve already put out– so the next big project I’m working on is going to be recording a demo of all the songs in the show. What this means though, is that I’m gonna be faced with a lot of new work and challenges I haven’t had to face before as I double down with getting this show into the eyes and ears of the public. Here’s a candid look at how I plan to do this as a beginner!

I can’t control my employers, honestly can I even control myself at this point?..... All jokes aside, as long as this summer I have my health, and my friends, I think I’ll be okay.

That is one reason I love new work so much is I love getting to help create something from scratch and be there right at the beginning of it and grow with it.

I am so blessed and privileged to get to do all that I do and I’m excited to see what the semester brings!

My first show of 2025 is Gone Missing by The Civilians and Michael Friedman. Aysan Celik, an original Civilians member and the wonderful director of this production, brought me aboard for this thrilling project as the assistant music director to musical superhuman Dr. Kyle Blair. At our first rehearsal, Kyle discussed his thoughts about why it is we sing in theater, connecting back to the principles of opera and the overflow of emotion that exceeds what dialogue can hold. I thought I would talk a little more about it. 

Are you single? Or taken? Do you yearn for the greatest night (or afternoon) of your life? Look no further than your local theatre. Thank me later.

Academic integrity is something I strive to maintain across my studies. With the rise of generative AI ominously impending upon us, I can’t help but wonder what the future of education will look like. 

Student blogger Piper Greisl looks back on the first four weeks of the 2025 Spring semester.

Student blogger Piper Greisl reflects on the connection between academic integrity and artistic integrity.

If I had to summarize my winter break in one word, I would say “relaxing.” While it was also unproductive for the most part, I finally had time to simply sit around and do nothing, which I consider a treat.

Having academic integrity to me doesn’t just mean doing your work or not using Chat GPT to write a paper. If you choose theatre for higher education, that means it is something you are passionate about and want to excel in. There would be many negative repercussions if I cut a corner in a class.

After 3 months in New Hampshire and 4 months in Austria, I’m finally back on my college campus in North Carolina! Immediately, I jumped back into the theatre department, full steam ahead. This semester, my goal was to be involved in as many shows as possible (without overextending myself), and stretch myself to try new positions! Here’s what my semester looks like: