Growing up, I claimed to be a 'self-taught' dancer, which really just meant I loved dancing, but never found my way into formal training. When it comes to auditions or workshops that involve learning choreography quickly in a group, I suddenly get two left feet and look like I've never stepped foot in a studio before. Now though, at the ripe age of a college senior, I've decided it is the time to change this. 

I have always been an academic and an athletic kind of person but when I was first met with having to balance these two components in my course, and maintaining my personal life, it was like a circus.

When I have a busier-than-normal day ahead of me, I take time the night before to make a game plan and organize my priorities. I start by listing the mandatory responsibilities (aside from class) that are time-sensitive: work, rehearsals, auditions, and/or meetings. Then I write in responsibilities that may not be as urgent.

This past year has made me tough, yet compassionate and a hard worker who knows the value of rest. I recommend that anyone with a dream similar to mine puts in the work to make it happen. The exhaustion and tears are truly worth it, when you’re working towards a dream.

One of the best things about living in Vancouver is the huge number of cultural festivals in the summer. You get to be in Italy one day, and the Philippines the next day. It's that time of the year when you get to experience new cultures and get inspired. Follow my story of how I went to three cultural festivals last June.

I chat with a good friend about her experiences as an up-and-coming playwright!

The best events come from the performances that are just at the right time. When sunsets happen. Sunsets can match the mood of a show or even make the mood. If you are ever lucky to see a show outside, having it placed where the sun goes down is perfect.

While some students are soaking in the sun after a year of hard work, many others are keeping the books open for a summer semester. I myself fall into the latter group and have been hitting my favorite coffee shops to study rather than hitting the beach.

One of my favorite memories over the pandemic was spending Saturday nights in my backyard with my friends. We set up a projector and made our way through the Starkid musicals, and a few years later, I'm still recommending them to other friends. 

Instead of heading straight for “1, 2, 3. Eyes on me,” I decided that we were going to try to be a bit more creative. I was going to remix Jonathan Larson’s “Boho Days.”

A good way to describe method acting is “reality acting.” When going into a role an actor or actress will usually start thinking how their character would think, how they would move, and all their motives.

A BFA in musical theatre is one of the most challenging and demanding majors, with acceptance rates as low as 5 to 9% and an average of 20 students per program. Students must apply to 'safe schools' and 'dream schools' to be considered safe. 

A triple threat course is obviously not an easy feat but with all that I have learnt in my first year, I would not give anything else up for the world. In addition to the triple threat, you would expect a musical theatre course to focus mostly on the practical aspects which are singing, dancing and acting, but lucky for me, the university equips us with the theory aspect of it as well which was the reason I picked this university to begin with.

Choosing a college is a notoriously stress-inducing process, and it certainly wasn’t any easier the second time around. If anything, the prospect of transferring to a new university filled me with even more anxiety than committing to my first college. After weighing my options, I decided to take the risk. Luckily, for me, the risk was well worth the reward. After applying and auditioning, I ended up at my current school, the University of South Carolina, pursuing a B.A. in Music with a Musical Theatre concentration.

“Our theater program equips us with talented mentors who take the art very seriously. They challenge us and provide a viewpoint from the work field which is more intensive compared to other schools.” -Josie Mosley

I knew I could do this. I can do this. And I still want to. This experience was incredible. I owe it all to God. I also can’t thank everyone involved in this enough for helping make it happen. I couldn’t have asked for better people or a better place. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Touring productions make theater more accessible overall: not just geographically, but financially as well. Theaters in major cities and college towns offer rush tickets, student discounts, and giveaways catered to college students who might not get a chance to experience these shows otherwise.

My amazing trip to New York came to a close as my mom and I boarded our bus to take us back home to Delaware. My time in the big apple is something I’ll never forget. All in one day, I walked down Chinatown, traveled through time, and stepped foot on Fleet Street!

I can confidently tell you that studying and practicing multiple disciplines in and outside the classroom – arts administration, production, and performance – has made my academic career more valuable to me. If you’re like me and you’ve found yourself intrigued and interested in different areas under the performing arts umbrella, I encourage you to try them all. Even theatre professionals advise you to! The more you know and do, the more demands you are capable of meeting. 

As a college student, the elusive world of summer internships seems like a secret society that only a select few are allowed membership to.

My boyfriend, Lewis, works in web design. I subjected him to a 45-minute interview about what different theatre-related terms mean. Do you know what they all mean? He certainly didn't.

'I found a hobby that can allow me to continue discovering my love for acting, and combine it with my love for my favorite fandoms. This passion has helped me grow so much as a person and performer, allowed me to meet so many incredible people, and been my escape through a lot of tough points in my life.'

The first day of school! When it comes to going back to school I have always been the biggest nerd. From the new books, new clothes, new people, different classes-it just gets a bit more exciting when you are starting your new semester of musical theater school! I attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Manhattan, and when I say this is a hard school to attend, hard is an understatement.

In total since being here I have seen fifty-five shows, and you just might be wondering how I do it, and to add to that, how I do it on a budget. 

Student blogger Emily Townley talks about her theatre (and non-theatre) related plans!