Hey everyone! I'm so excited to share my first blog here at Broadway World! This is a great opportunity for those who are going to school for theatre arts to share their thoughts and experiences with other thespians, so I figured this first post could be about how/why I'm going to school at Montclair State University for theatre arts.

In high school, my Freshman English teacher told me, "I don't know what your future career is, but I have this feeling it's going to focus on words." Words? A pretty ambiguous job title... 

You did it. After four long years of sitting in greasy desks that are too small for you, you finally graduated high school. The well awaited promise of college is even closer than it has ever been before. And to make things even better, you found a school that fits all of your needs and wants, and you wholeheartedly believe that you are going to become the person you were always meant to be. But, what if college isn't all that you expected it to be? What if instead of being filled with passionate, like-minded learners, you feel like you are alone and no one truly understands you?

When you are a college student, sometimes you get the opportunity to work professional events that may come through your theatre on campus. I recently got the experience of working my first union gig for a national touring company that came through my town, and working on that type of theatre is much different than working a normal college show. I felt like a small kid learning all kinds of new information - impressed and terrified at the same time.

I've always seen life as an adventure. The more we seize opportunities, or even create them for ourselves, the more we'll realize the  joy life can bring. 

Hello everybody! I'm glad to be back writing to you all about another week and another topic! The program I am studying in here at Catholic University is part of the Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art. The Drama program is an all-encompassing major that includes studies in all areas of theatre. These areas include: script analysis, acting, directing, technical theatre, design, etc. One of the most rewarding parts of our Theatre Topics class, I believe, are the reading and discussion of a wide variety of plays.

Preparing for a major project, such as choreographing a musical, seemed very intimidating at first. Even as I wrote the choreography there were moments that I wasn't sure if the approach that I was taking was going to work for the show. I had a basic concept for the production: it was supposed to appear as a cartoon. Not physically, but characteristically, the bodies on stage were supposed to seem like they were from another world.

As an Indonesian born theatre-lover, I remember seeing my first Broadway show, which was the Miss Saigon Revival. As a proud Asian myself, I could not believe that I was seeing the iconic helicopter scene from the mezzanine, after growing up singing 'I'd Give My Life for You' in my living room all the time. Beyond its theatrical elements, it was heartwarming to see someone like myself portrayed on a Broadway stage where people of varying cultures could witness a group of Asian performers shine on stage. As Broadway is starting to become more progressive in the realms of diversity and representation, here are some of the Asian actresses gracing the stage this year.

Things have slowed down a bit since the beginning of the semester (just directing one show now), but it's easy to begin losing your mind. 

Trying to figure out what career is right for you can be one of the hardest parts of college. I didn't figure out exactly what I wanted to be doing until my Junior year. Studying and working in theatre can be one of the most versatile careers/degrees out there. So, how do you know it's right for you?

Oh, we got trouble, right here in D.C. Well, not really but I have been singing that song non-stop since I had the honor of seeing The Music Man on Thursday, February 7. The Music Man was presented as part of the Broadway Center Stage series at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

My first semester at Carnegie Mellon has been exhausting, rewarding, and enlightening all in one. From the new experiences to new relationships I have made, Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon have become home for me. The biggest lesson I learned this semester is: embracing your roots. Over the course of many trials and tribulations, I have become more rooted in who I am and where I am from, a Latinx-Japanese theatre maker from Los Angeles. This semester without a doubt had very high highs and very low lows.

I'm sitting in a New York City cafe this morning. The necessary coffee and unnecessary blueberry muffin accompanying me. Like many theatre-makers, I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be in theatre for the rest of my life. But now I'm here, not only a graduate student getting my MFA in stage directing, but also grabbing every opportunity I can manage to find. 

Fast Cars. Moonshine. Bluegrass. A play with a sense of freedom. And a creative team of all women putting it together. When I started the Master of Fine Arts program in Directing last semester at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, I wasn't aware of the amount of opportunities I would be given.

Being involved in a theatre production means two things: hard work and late nights. This is especially true as a student, whose schedule is also filled up with classes, work, extracurriculars, group meetings, homework, and if you're lucky, a social life. As the choreographer for the spring musical, being in rehearsals every night requires focus and the time outside of rehearsal is spent adjusting, writing, and re-writing choreography. The dance numbers are constantly cycling through my head. I fall asleep thinking about them and most of the time it's my first thought when I wake up. It's hard work, but I love every minute of it.

As musical theatre majors, we basically live multiple lives in one day. Our classes are unlike any other major in terms of daily requirements. Those requirements include not only an extreme amount of emotional and physical stamina, but also an exorbitant amount of stuff. My book bag contains my life and universe and without it I would fail my courses.

Over the past decade, theatre has continually challenged me. There are always the inner challenges of trusting my instincts, being open to express myself, and working through failures. I am currently in my senior year of college, and in the past four years, I have also been challenged in new positions within the theatre.

Hello everybody! My name is Brandon Horwin and I am a sophomore drama major and performing arts management minor in the Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. I'm thrilled to be a Student Blogger for BroadwayWorld and to take you inside the life of a drama student in our Nation's Capital.

Hello again everyone, and welcome to my third blog post for BroadwayWorld! This week I wanted to talk about an idea that I've thought a lot about recently, and that is the impact that the shows I have seen have had on me over the years.

I got the chance this past weekend on Sunday (December 9th, 2018) to take a masterclass with Broadway leading man Derek Klena. It was an experience that helped me grow so much as an actor and all-around performer.

So this is my last article! At least, this is my last article for now. By the time this is posted, I'll be done with all my finals! This semester has been truly wild. It really went by quicker than I thought. I'm still not in the holiday spirit and it's probably too late for that since Christmas is in a few days. I've spent so much time in the city and it's been fun seeing all the holiday displays and store windows. I'm just really ready for rest because I'm tired like everyone else is.

Hi BroadwayWorld, Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade! (For the Broadway performances…of course!)

Alright. So. There is exactly one week left of the semester. I'm so tired. I can't believe how much work I've actually gotten done.

Dear High School Seniors: BA programs are good and here's why

Just like that the semester is almost over! It feels like I just started the fall semester. Now I'm in my last week of classes! Has the studying started? No. Has the crying started? Absolutely! Like every other college student, I'm currently drowning in final papers, projects, due dates, and probably a whole bunch of other stuff that I'm not even aware of. I've been trying to get into the holiday spirit by doing festive things in the city. I haven't had much time, but I did get to enjoy a trip to the Met over the weekend!