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:

In continuing my goal to have one new experience every day, I decided to get tickets to Théâtre du Lido 2's production of 'Hello Dolly!'.  It was such a blast of a night and it was so much fun to see a musical performed in Paris!

Rushing Broadway shows is just another activity for theatre lovers, except it also comes with the chance to see a Broadway show for affordable prices!

It’s easy to get caught up in the bubble of one’s college ecosystem: especially in a tight-knit theatre department like the one I’m a part of at the University of Michigan. Engaging in this regional conference opened up my mindset, introducing me to other artists and aspiring theatre practitioners with approaches of their own.

As is the first month of the new year, January 2025 is the perfect time to start up those positive changes, new projects, and artistic resolutions! Right now I’m on an aforementioned gap year, and one of the things I told myself I would do is make sure to make time for art and projects even while I’m out of school. Here are some of the things I’m committing myself to to keep my artist sharp in the new year! 

You can be a million things at once and still be a singular unique unit of a human on this planet. You are not Actor. Dancer. Theater Kid. You are you who contains all those things alongside an epic myriad of others unlike any other person on this earth.

Preserving the integrity of our training and professional opportunities is of the utmost importance in the arts. What’s the point of pursuing higher education in a field you’re passionate about if you aren’t willing to put in the work?

Finals week at the University of Connecticut has come and gone. My experience was still stressful, as it usually is, but more manageable than the semesters prior because of my lighter workload.

I start rehearsals for Pride and Prejudice this week and am swinging two tracks, each track consisting of two characters. I have been able to understudy before but have never been a swing. It’s a bit overwhelming but I am going to try to list some of the things that have already been extremely helpful to me.

Most people I have met have urged me to study abroad. I always thought it was a good idea, but to actually be here and experiencing it is an incredibly surreal experience. I arrived in Paris on January 14 and have been running around since!

I hate generative AI. I will shout it from the mountaintops, I will shout it from my apartment window, I will shout it into your ear right now. With zero reservations, I think less of people who use sites like ChatGPT to accomplish tasks for them, especially in academic environments. To me, it is utterly shameful and morally disqualifying. 

How do I define Academic Integrity as a theatre student? You can't really cheat on a test when your final is a scene, but you can cheat on your artistic self.

In todays blog, we discuss how even when times can get busy as a teenager in high school, we need to understand why it's important to maintain our academic integrity.

I've taken it upon myself to go into the trenches and gather intel for actors like you and me. This article will focus on auditions and callbacks, from an Asst. Director's POV. What are directors and casting teams looking for? What is the key to a successful audition?

The New Year is right around the corner and as per usual, I have absolutely zero idea what this year will have in store for me. Nevertheless, what I do know is that 2025 will be a year of major decisions and changes. Let’s dive in!

Ah, yes. Burnout. An inevitable part of any college kid's academic career. Burnout reveals itself in many ways; it can make every day activities seem impossible. So, how does one slay the demon that is burnout?

It finally hit me— I called my mom to tell her that I was going to submit to direct Little Women, a musical of which I love and was familiar with because it was also my senior year musical in high school. I had a meeting with the E-Board to pitch my idea to them and I decided to make a proposal presentation including a vision board and a synopsis of the show. In late May, I got an email telling me that my show was chosen. I did it. I put my dreams into motion.

One creative outlet outshined the rest— musical theater— and I began to really dive into theater in middle school and high school. I participated in my school’s choir and musicals and even helped out in the costume department. It was no surprise that I chose to go to college for theater because it was what I was truly passionate about. After my first semester, however, I was not feeling that same passion. I enjoyed my classes but it was all theater all the time and the new element of having my theater work graded added a level of stress that was not there before.

In an end of year reflection, student blogger Piper Greisl looks back on her first semester as a junior and her first semester as a theatre student.

This entry is a bit more personal, but it explores my experience and perception of my identity concerning the things I do and how that changes as I grow up.

Student blogger Piper Greisl discusses how she avoids and treats burnout in order to continue pursuing passions and hobbies.

To me, theater is the coolest thing in the entire world. Perhaps it’s a naive sentiment coming from a college student who does not directly depend on theater as my livelihood, but I have never felt burnt out to the point where I question how much I want to be in another show. There have been a handful of times that I selfishly wished I didn’t have rehearsal so I could have a night in and relax, but after having too many of those kinds of nights, I realized how essential theater is to my bodily function.