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. 

Most universities across the country have between one and two on-campus theatres - sometimes even more. But when those spaces aren’t available, where can one hone their craft?

If you’re anything like me, audition season is both the most exhilarating and most stressful time of the year. Juggling in-person and virtual auditions, and trying to stay on top of the most recent casting call is overwhelming to say the least, but by preparing an audition book that you’re comfortable and confident in, the stress of material prep can be alleviated. Armed with my own book and a pack of sticky tabs, I’ve compiled some tips to help you build your book!

Hi, I'm Makena, a current college freshman pursuing a BFA in Acting for the Stage & Screen. I love theatre in all forms and can't wait to share all I'm learning from my theatre program and experiences.

Willkommen, bienvenue, and welcome to my first article with BroadwayWorld! I am beyond excited to take you into my life and my love for theatre! Over the next four months (and beyond, who knows!), I will be sharing everything from my daily routine as a full-time college student, to my theatre background, to my budgeting methods to support live theatre in my area, and more!

This time of year marks the peak of audition season, a time of high stress, early morning casting calls, and many “nos.” If you’re looking to find new ways to approach auditions, here are some of my tried-and-true tips! 

As silly as it sounds, these games help fill my cup. When I have had a long week or an especially stressful week, getting to go play these games with some of my favorite people is so much fun.

As the spring semester kicks off, the flurry of auditions, applications, and new opportunities begins to unfold. For many performing arts students, it’s easy to fall into the trap of viewing this season as a race to compile a list of accomplishments that will catch the attention of professors, casting directors, and future employers.

As the spring semester kicks off, so does the whirlwind of auditions, applications, and fresh opportunities. For many performing arts students, it's tempting to fall into the trap of treating this season like a race where the goal is to stack accomplishments that will impress professors, casting directors, and future employers.

In class, we dove into the age of romanticism and how that movement influenced theatre at its time. How does that relate to today? What do we see now that we didn't before? Or what's something they did right we should remember?

I’ve always considered myself a creative person. I’ve been creating things for as long as I can remember whether it’s stories, dances, or songs. But with all this creativity, I’ve always had insecurities about my abilities and work. There seems to be a persistent doubt whenever I create, and while this seems to be a common issue that creatives deal with, it troubles me.

Early spring hits each year and I am always faced with an overwhelming number of tasks. I am so thankful to feel overwhelmed because I know what a privilege it is. Yet, that does not stop life from feeling like a lot sometimes!

Auditions stressing you out? Having a hard time feeling comfortable and audition ready? Here's how to master your audition with tips and tricks from an acting major to make your life a bit easier!

Advice for the college kid struggling through midterm season-- how to cope, recover, and thrive!

Transferring schools can be a difficult adjustment. I started my freshman year of college at Florida Gulf Coast University as a Marketing major, but after spending Summer and Fall semester there, I realized it really wasn’t the place for me.

I grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, which believe it or not, has an impressive arts community. I've always been incredibly grateful for this because, without the opportunities I grew up with in my community, I wouldn’t be where I am today - studying at a university with great Fine Arts programs and lots of experience already under my belt. 

Ella Sigurdsson is a costume designer, makeup artist, and theater artist; along with being a full-time student in the department of theatre arts at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU). I recently had the opportunity to speak to Ella about how she handles her life as a costume designer, pursuing a career, being a full time student, and her social media presence; all while keeping her passion for design.

I love getting to do things like this. I love organizing things, I love putting together cabarets and shows, I love it a lot. I like getting to see folks come out of their shell and get to perform.

There are no words to describe the adrenaline rush of being in an audition room or seeing your name on a cast list. The biggest things to remember are to be prepared, be confident, and have fun. Theatre is supposed to be a fun and creative experience and the pressure of an audition shouldn’t dampen it.

Four jobs, multiple other on and off campus roles, a 4.0, and a grant to work on a dream project at my college. As I approach the halfway point of my 2nd semester of college, self-discipline and self care has been more important for me than ever. Hi, I’m Bri - a new Broadway World Student Blogger. Let me provide you with some background information about me:

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.