Get to know Olivia Mathis, a student at the Institute for American Musical Theatre, as she shares her advice on auditioning, stress management, parental support, and more!

Ever since I was young, I've been an avid theatergoer. Of course, when I was younger, my parents would plan the day, and I'd just go along, but now that I'm a teenager, I can play a big part in creating my ideal Broadway day.

Some days feel like you have a foot in two different worlds. My journey at school has been unique since one day I rehearse my belt in Right Hand Man and then rigorously practice for Mozart’s Queen of the Night aria. Yet, I have found my work in both disciplines is incredibly fulfilling as I gain experience and perspective.

I’m halfway through the semester, which means two things: the weather’s starting to get warmer and exams are upon us. Any exam can be very stressful, but when multiple are happening in the same time frame, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. With midterm season happening now at my school, I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to share my advice in order to get through it.

So, in lieu of this busy audition season, I wanted to share some of my handy-dandy tips and tricks that may help you ace your next audition. I tried to stick to factors that are 100% in your control. Let’s be honest, the last thing you want to think (or sing) to yourself after you walk out of the room is “all that work and what did it get me?”

Woohoo to semester two! I am, currently, a CCC (California Community College) student with plans to transfer to Cal Poly Pomona. Unlike many of my fellow bloggers, I am not a Theatre Arts major pursuing my BFA. It was a hard decision to not pursue my passion through a degree, but I couldn’t be happier (Thank Goodness!).

But with everything that’s been going on this past month, I find that I’ve been struggling to stay present in my day-to-day life. This month I have had to constantly remind myself to take things one step at a time. It’s so easy to get caught up on what’s next rather than what you’re currently living through.

And going after what I want and what I want to do, isn’t silly or ridiculous in the slightest. I also am allowed to change my mind at any point in time and that doesn’t make me any less of an artist. It does not mean I failed.

Opening two shows back-to-back in a month might be the most tiring thing I’ve ever done, but I’ve never felt more accomplished

For myself and many of my peers, it seems that the mid-semester burnout hits earlier and earlier with every passing year. This year it happened to hit right around the time I was reading my first syllabus; it was like I was already exhausted from the mental image of the semester ahead of me.

These past few months, I’ve been working harder than I have before on improving my mindset and personal self care regimen. And honestly, it’s been great! I’m feeling happier and healthier than I have before… with only one down side. I’m currently cast in a play at my school, and while I’m very grateful and excited to be, it is very weighted.

My school has multiple choirs, and I’m currently in the junior jazz choir. The experience has been great! They also offer opportunities for any crew position in the theatre world, from set building to tech, they have students running it all for their yearly productions. However, this also means that during the musical season, things will be extremely chaotic. For example, I am currently writing this essay in the corner of a Tim Hortons at noon on a Tuesday because my school had a matinee today, and classes were practically shut down for the day due to the lack of students that weren’t partaking in the musical this year.

I had no idea what I was signing up for when I agreed to be the assistant stage manager for a workshop at my university, Wake Forest.

One habit I've picked up during my time as a BFA Musical Theatre student is meal prepping. I know... eye roll. I'm sure to the non-meal-prepper; this whole blog might sound like the nagging mom who cries, 'Make sure you eat the carrots and broccoli I packed!' as she drops her son off at elementary school. But as an emerging artist, I've slowly realized how much the theatre industry prioritizes work over the value of a healthy human.

This week one of the most anticipated events of the year took place in Milan, Fall/ Winter 2024. I had the amazing opportunity to Attend a Fashion show for the Brand Francesca Liberatore. The event was held inside of the green room inside of the conservatory of Milan and It was a collaboration with the “La societá dei Concerti” (Society of the Concerts ) Milano Foundation.

For most of my high school career, I thought I wanted to attend a four-year university, but I hadn’t considered why I wanted to take that path. When I stepped back and thought about what I truly wanted, none of those expectations ultimately impacted my decision at all. I knew I wanted to be in New York City, but other than that, I just wanted to get the best training I possibly could, 4-year school or not.

As the hosts of 'Peppers', MTR does the opening number. Our chosen performance was our adaptation of 'Apex Predator' from Mean Girls which was brilliantly titled 'Apeps Predator' and the lyrics were changed to match the peppery theme of the night. We ate the peppers about one minute into the song and when I tell you it was like a SLAP in the face which only got worse the more you breathed.

Have you ever heard a performer refer to tech week as “hell week?” What is a tech week and how did it earn such a nickname? There are some “survival tips” that will help make your life in tech much easier. 

I think researching this kind of thing is very interesting, because all towns have some time of relationship with their surroundings. It's also very fun to take your other interests (such as musical theatre, for me) and see how they relate to your town's history.

As you can probably tell from my opening image, a lot is racing through my mind this school year. There’s the aspect of being a senior in high school, being a freshman in college next year, and maintaining my favorite hobby in the world; Theater.

​​​​​​​To sum up this whole post in one sentence: I absolutely adore my school district’s arts program and the opportunities and love it has given me. 

Winter is in full swing, which also marks the beginning of my second semester of college. I learned a lot from my first semester: it was a big adjustment, but overall I would say it was pretty successful. I learned that I love the independence of college, although it comes with a lot of responsibility. For example, I need to manage my time properly so I don’t fall behind on assignments. 

My real work began the following week during tech, where we enjoyed hours and hours of lighting levels, and myself and the other ASM got exceedingly good at sweeping and mopping the dance floor. 

The metaphorical bricks, realistically being assignment deadlines, lack of sleep, long days in the theatre, and a bought of Covid-19, made for a long and tiring fall semester.  This is a sentiment shared by many in my program.

Ever since last year, I enter class on the first day and hear the phrase “A.I.” before I leave. It’s a discussion that upsets me above everything else. It’s been disappointing to hear that conversation get more and more urgent each semester.