As part of my college plan, I take a lot of Elementary Education classes. Every semester, the same questions appear over and over again: What do you want to teach? Why do you want to teach that? Aren't you worried about xyz with that?' With more standard replies like 5th grade ELA or 3rd grade Math, a discussion follows about the pros and cons, the personal experiences around it, and the need for such skills or materials.

Everyone has heard the term 'burnout' and while it looks different for each individual, the general consensus is just a feeling of lifelessness in the sense that everything you had to give was used up. We talk about burnout a lot with academics or high-stress careers, but it is usually connected only to work of some kind. I feel that it is in the absence of work, the time where you finally get to reflect on the race you've been running, that the burnout really settles in.

I’m really joyful about everything going on and I can’t wait to see how everything is going to turn out.

Stage Fright is a very normal thing to have. Even Barbra Streisand had it! I halted my live performances after I didn't dance anymore (that was another story!). I can’t really tell you what caused my fear, but I will tell you how it affected my life in so many ways. I want to mention that stage fright also never stopped the idea of performing on stage for me, it just stopped me from actually doing it (if that makes sense).

I’ve mentioned it already, but a small burnout from me can happen during the decision of cleaning my room. I’ve watched my chaotic room get worse over the summer and finally I decided to take some action.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to start your own theatre company? Midsummer Ensemble is an up and coming company that put on their first show just last year! Here is a Q+A with some of their members.

I wanted theater to be a way for me to escape into another world for a few hours a day, taking on a character and focusing on something that I know I can do and I know I can enjoy, whether that’s a music rehearsal, blocking session, or choreography. 

Ever since I was in middle school, I used to stay up for hours on end watching concerts and performances from 54 Below. As corny as it sounds, Getting to be in the Do Not Sing List was such a dream come true and little Grace wouldn't believe it.

It is easier to get caught in the rat race than to fear it. Getting ahead is a good thing, but before you do the ‘what,’ it is good to know the ‘why.’

I experienced a lot of burnout this summer. I was memorizing line after line for a scene I had to do the next day, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I hate memorizing. I took a break over the weekend and reset myself. Here's what I realized.

'Above all, be the absolute best you can be, and help create a safe environment for others to do the same.'

I have exactly 12 days left of my summer at home, and I’m actually quite terrified of leaving again.

Theatre has brought me my closest friendships, funniest inside jokes, and deepest realizations about myself and who I want to become. The theatre community as a whole means so much to me, and I am beyond grateful for the way in which it’s changed my life.

Treat every day like a blessing and a challenge all wrapped into one, and hopefully your days will feel burnout free!

It is difficult to decide to voluntarily do something scary. To step outside of your comfort zone, you must consciously decide against your natural habits. As a performer, I have discovered the value of pushing myself to step outside my comfort zone. 

In my last entry, I covered playwriting tips for outlining and creating the idea for a strong play or musical. Now that we’ve covered how to make a solid plan for the piece you’re trying to write, there comes a time to put that plan into action and give a shot at the writing portion! Here’s my advice on how to kickstart your script and bring your planned piece to life.

Now in college, and having had the opportunity to stage and direct “Mortal Dilemma” at my school, I’ve had lots of my theatre major peers ask me about my writing process and tips on how to create and perfect their own pieces. In this entry I will cover the beginning steps to creating a strong written piece, and how to set up your play (or musical) for success! 

'Being an actor, and an acting student, is incredibly time consuimg. And it should be! Art takes time, and care, and attention to detail. But it can sometimes feel like in order to create something we can be proud of, we have to sacrifice our mental well-being.'

Musical theater is hard work and it is never going to be a walk in the park. But you never want to push yourself to the point where you lose your love for performing altogether. At one point or another, every performer will experience what is called “burnout.” Burnout is the feeling when performing loses its joy or spark.

I think we’ve all experienced academic burnout at one point or another, but I didn’t appreciate that burnout could extend to a summer job until now. 

Have you ever been told that you're special, an old soul, or very mature for your age? Was any grade below a 95% considered 'failing' to you? Were you constantly participating in every activity humanly possible? If so, you may be entitled to financial compensation. 

Being burnt out means that you are not well. You’re emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted that you just can’t function as a human being. I have experienced burnout multiple times in the past, and I don’t think it's worth it. So why does it keep happening?

It’ll be nice to take a class merely because I’m interested in the topic, something which can often be overlooked while choosing college courses.