As the cliche says, you are who you surround yourself with. The second you enter a room, you are now part of it. Pursue knowledge, make connections, and give yourself a little more grace when that doubt creeps in: you deserve to be here.

Looking back, I still feel like a very different person now than I was then. I feel more sure of who I am, and more confident in being myself and setting the boundaries that are important to me.

It seems this is a problem that not only plagues me, but also many of my peers. Indeed, my friends, it is time to pull out your masks and hazmat suits because we are in a dire epidemic of forgetting how fun the holidays can be.

Remember when Josh Groban said 'Hire a former theatre kid. I don't care what your business is. It will go better if you hire a former theatre kid?' Well, I think he was right. This is how working in theater prepared me to step into the world of film.

The past three and a half years have absolutely flown by, but I believe that is because I have had the opportunity to take full advantage of my time at USC. I have gathered so many new thoughts along the way, all of which have crafted me to become a better, more mature version of myself!

On October 28, I was fortunate enough to sit down on Zoom with Cher Álvarez and Patrick Heusinger, the two leading performers of the show to chat about their careers and being a part of this amazing franchise in a new way.

When I first applied to colleges, I had no idea what I wanted to study. I mean, really, I had no clue what I wanted to do. I claimed I would major in psychology, but deep down, I believed I would choose English instead.

If you cringed at the word “audition”, don’t worry, we all do it. Every single one of my actor friends dreads auditions and if you tell me you look forward to them, you don’t have to lie, this is a safe place.

I have done (almost) every job in theater you could think of…. I’ve helped produce, done PR, play selection committees. I’ve written works, edited works, worked on staged readings, dramaturged…jack of all trades, master of some!

Between starting a new semester and my last year of college, preparing for my acting thesis, and taking the time to install new lights and prepare my theater for this season, the beginning of the year was hectic for me, to say the least. What kept me going through the work and preparation was simply the excitement. The excitement of beginning anew, the excitement of my senior year, and most importantly, the excitement to create art.

There’s something sacred about theatre, about being in a room with people who are all trying to tell a story together. You start as castmates, and somehow you become this little family. You share late nights, inside jokes, emotional breakdowns, caffeine addictions, all for the sake of creating something that’s gone the moment the lights fade. And maybe that’s the point. Theatre is fleeting. Life is fleeting. And that’s what makes it beautiful.

​This past summer, I was incredibly fortunate to work on two different shows: I played Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie at Otterbein Summer Theater and Fredrika in A Little Night Music at The Hawaii Performing Arts Festival.

I am a sophomore Liberal Arts student at the Community College of Philadelphia with plans to transfer next year to study communication & theater. I have been working in the Philly theater community for about two years now and love it.

As an underclassman, it’s scary trying to fight for opportunities in the theatre, even within one's own school. I recently finished my mainstage debut at my university as a stage manager, and despite my stress, I had a great time and learned a ton.

What's an artist without hobbies and other things that make them happy? A boring person! Having other things outside of your artistic study creates avenues to alleviate harsh stressors.

The truth is (as we know, especially as artists), we are always going to face change, whether that be casting decisions, jobs, or even our own expectations. As actors, we are always taught “the show must go on”… right? Learning to adapt to these shifts, no matter their form, has become just as important as any plan I could make, and here's why.

When I was younger, back to school just meant back to overthinking my outfit and material choices with 15 minute drives filled with musical sing-alongs and day debriefs with my parents. Now it involves a 3,098.6 mile plane ride and a severe drop in temperatures.

Being a college student is exciting; you are away from home for the first time and have more freedom than ever before. Creating good habits for yourself is essential to finding success in a new university setting.

At the beginning of this semester, my Acting Voice and Movement professor gave us an assignment titled “Feeding Your Artistic Soul”. The assignment couldn't have come at a better time for me. Read BroadwayWorld's student blog here!

When I was applying to schools I always wanted an idea of what a BFA day-in-the-life would look like in general so - here is mine at Northern Michigan University! 

Why does theatre education matter? This is a question frequently raised by many people, particularly when considering whether a school theatre program should be shut down.

As a Freshman in college, one of the biggest worries I had going into college was, “How am I ever going to maintain friendships with the people back at home, AND the new people I meet in college?” Here are some tips!

The first time I read the first line in The Outsiders, Ponyboy Curtis wasn’t just a character. He was me, a kid navigating a world split between identities, trying to figure out where he belonged.

During the nine-month Broadway run of this show, one of my greatest inspirations and someone I’ve been fortunate enough to know personally, the incredibly talented Chase Del Rey portrayed the role of Lon while also understudying Middle Noah.

I had been hyping up Broadway for the entirety of Emma and I’s friendship, so I couldn’t wait for her to experience it.