The first two weeks of fall semester were nothing compared to the heavy-hitter that was the third. I found myself (*gasp*) actually having to put in homework hours at the library, at home, and in rehearsal spaces; the semester had finally begun.

For most shows by closing, I'm sitting at the soundboard, tired of hearing the dialogue: I'm memorizing the beats in the actors voices, tracing out lines on my palms, you name it. Running a show for two weeks will end up with me either hanging on the edge of my seat out of love and adoration, or out of dying, death, and despair. The Foreigner by Larry Shue, however, is my favorite show. I never get tired of watching it, of running it, of listening to the dialogue while I'm sitting by the board. When done well, the show is hilarious, sweet, tear-jerking at times (maybe I'm emotional), and just plain enjoyable. I am typically fonder of straight plays for sound design (although I do love mixing a live orchestra with actors) because of the incredible liberties I can take. Of course, most straight plays are realistic, so there's not a ton of magical orb sounds or dragon's roars, but I do have a recording of Sowing In The Morning played on the Harmonica for The Foreigner, as well as car horns, 40 minutes of rain, and an explosion. And maybe it's me, but I love these effects.

Welcome to the second installment of the behind the scenes look at the University of New Haven's production of Thorton Wilder's American classic, Our Town. For those who are just joining us this week I have the pleasure of guiding this journey from the rehearsal process all the way through closing night.

Who comes to mind when I think of a talented, intelligent and influential person? Ayodele Casel. This powerhouse tap dancer, actor and teacher has broken boundaries and shown how an interest can help you discover a talent and even transform into a lifestyle and career.

Friday September 9th was the first opera rehearsal for the Universite de Moncton opera workshop production of 'Dido and Aeneas'!!

When we talk about a play or musical that speaks about a different culture, we can say that the production is about race and all that the race entitles. Whether or not it is speaking on love, achieving your dreams or posing a big question on humanity, we believe in it's diversity because it talks about a different experience. And we are content that there is a piece about this very culture because it relates in the most minuscule level of who we are.

This semester, I am enrolled in two theatre classes--Shakespeare II and Business of Acting. For the latter, we have a workshop-style class every Friday where we discuss our preparations for our BFA Showcase and post-grad plans, as well as meet with industry experts. This week, we met with a Los Angeles casting director who spoke about the importance of being professional, which is what sparked this blog post.

The resonance of an orchestra warming up before a performance is a very comforting sound for me: reminiscent of the nights at the theatre with my Meme. But there is something very special regarding the cadence of my first Broadway orchestra in preparation, that sound I will never forget.

Last year, I took a digital performance art class. And to be totally honest, I didn't think that I would love it, and sometimes I didn't love it. It forced me to step outside my comfort zone and put myself out there as both a designer and as a person presenting my designs. I spent long hours in the computer lab compositing this video - a video I never thought I would make.

The season has officially begun at the University of New Haven. Our season opener, Our Town, has officially begun the rehearsal and I am honored to be a part of this amazing cast as Lady in the Box, Man Among the Dead, and a member of the Choir. I am thrilled to be able to bring you behind the scenes as we bring Thorton Wilder's American classic to life at the Bucknall Theatre.

BroadwayHD made an announcement last year that they would begin to stream live performances of professional productions from all over - Broadway, West End, you name it.

Over the summer I read Reasons to be Pretty and its companion, Reasons to be Happy by Neil LaBute. I enjoyed both of them, and became very invested in the characters' lives. In honor of this weekend's premiere of the third installment in the series, Reasons to be Pretty Happy, I thought I would share five things that I hope have happened between the second and third plays.

It's the last year of your undergrad and the pressure to know what you will be doing in a few months is crazy. And by this time you wear your cap and gown, you may still be unsure of where your life will lead. However, all you know is what you have studied and hope that your bachelor degree was worth that student loan you probably begged your parents your to sign. And of course, your bachelor degree doesn't mean anything without a job. It's a piece of paper and with a title without the value. It's an unfortunate reality but having a job after college doesn't always happen. So what in the world do you do, when you are unsure

I am now a week into senior year. Between beginning-of-the-year meetings, office hours, and work-study it's been...calm. I enjoy the routine of school and it's something I will miss.

Hello Broadway World readers! I'm Caroline Meredith, a new student blogger here at BWW. I am a student at the Orange County School of the Arts, in Orange County, California (yep, as in Laguna Beach and The OC). The Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) is a public arts high school that offers conservatory programs in fields like Musical Theatre, Instrumental Music, Creative Writing, and many, many more!

School is back in session at the University of New Haven. One week of classes is officially in the books as we look forward to the rest of the semester that lies ahead of us. In the theatre department, we are particularly excited to begin the process for our Fall Production of Thorton Wilder's Our Town which is the first show of this season. We have an exciting season lined up so far and more announcements to come!

The musical Annie and I have a long, and special history. At the age of seven, it was the first musical that I was in. It was produced by my summer camp, where roles were distributed by seniority; all the older kids got bigger roles. I was one of the youngest, so I was given the part of an ensemble orphan. I won't pretend like I wasn't upset - I wanted to be Annie. But I stuck it out for five weeks, and picked up my little broom from the back of the stage during Hard Knock Life and perfected my sweeping. That was my only part during the entire abridged version.

Wow! I can't believe that this is my first blog! It's also hard to believe that opera rehearsals start Friday!!

People want art - that's inevitable. Art is entertainment, and entertainment is consumable, and therefore art is good. People want to watch movies, indie films, television. They want to come to the theatre to show off their cultured lives, and they want to brag about it. People want music to listen to in the car, while they're working, running, sleeping. They want to go to art museums; they want pottery and paintings in their houses. Students want tapestries hanging up in their first apartment, and they want to read books and magazines and comics.

Every artist has a way of working, whether it's using 'counts' in choreography, or being an auditory learner, the list goes on and on. We all have ways that we learn and function as a creative individual, and I have discovered, as you probably have, that we don't all work the same way.

On Wednesday August 31st, 2016, Rory O'Malley hosted Hamilton's last live lottery drawing show. The popular tradition had only been around for just over a year, but in that year it won the hearts of many Hamilfans just looking for their shot at the hottest ticket in town. Although it is truly sad to see Ham4Ham go, I choose to celebrate its short but illustrious life.

I was sitting in a black plastic chair in a room with maybe seven other people, one that I knew, and six that I did not. I have sat in this exact chair before, and it was the exact chair that I sat in during my freshman required acting class. At that time, it was a chair I was unfamiliar with, in the front row, and shortly after that first day it reminded me of the things I did not know and did not desire to know. But this time was different.

Whether it be a physical warm up, group bonding, or prayer, everyone has something they do to center themselves and get 'in the zone' before a performance. Whether it is an intentional ritual that you are superstitious over, or just something that makes you feel good, everyone has at least one thing.

Striving to be a Musical Theatre performer often means striving to be a triple threat. (For definition of triple threat see: Sutton Foster) As I have been training to be a performer since I was young, there is one particular...threat...that I would feel threatened by

This summer I am volunteering at the New York International Fringe Festival. The Fringe is a good platform for experimental theater and social commentary. This week I saw my first Fringe show ever, Financial Slavery: The College Debt Sentence. It tells the story of three college students with varying amounts of debt. The show incorporates real statistics and the stories of real people, as well as spoken word, video projections, and audience interaction.