I write to you this letter to show my love and admiration for each and everyone of you. As I am about to graduate while most of you are in the beginning of your college journey, I wish to tell you the impact you had on me.

This year has already been a tough one, and despite everything, the world turns and we are expected to fulfill our responsibilities. Realizing your own needs is incredibly important during these thoroughly unprecedented times, and taking care of yourself should be a number one priority. I’m writing this for myself and anyone else who may be going through difficult times.

It's almost that time... midterms. Not as bad as finals week, but it still brings on plenty of stress. This is when I try to sit down and study and work on my midterm projects. However, sometimes you just need a break from it all. So here are my tips for making it through Midterm week.

I’m a 3rd year Musical Theatre major at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois – one state in which the mask mandate has officially been lifted. After two years of a pandemic, Gov. Pritzker has done away with the mask mandate that was originally reinstated in August of last year.

Earlier this week, I got my second rejection of the summer stock season. Of course, I was a little frustrated because it was a theater I really wanted to work with. In the past, I would have pouted and overanalyzed for hours and hours about what I did wrong and how I deserved to be in that show, and so on. However, now, I've decided not to let this rejection get me down, and instead think of how this rejection will help me.

The often repeated aphorism “history repeats itself” and the related axiom attributed to Winston Churchill, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” were foremost on my mind as the tragic events in Ukraine unfolded this past week. During a period of relative peace, it is easy for those of us who have yet to finish college to dismiss these axioms, yet it became clear on Thursday, February 27, 2022 that history does indeed repeat itself.

All seemed fine right? Nope… we went through another round. Our castmate, production crew, and musician tested positive for COVID-19. I'm just glad that we managed to pull through till the end.

The challenge for the actor is to be so in touch with their own humanity that they can sense the bold emotions of their character, while still prioritizing communication, so that audiences can relate to that humanity.

If you are searching for positions in theatrical development, you have likely come across the buzzword “script coverage”. This time-consuming, detail-oriented task can be daunting for interns who have never analyzed a script for a company. Thanks to my most recent internship, I have extensive experience in performing script coverage for plays, films, and TV pilots, so I came up with 5 tips for script coverage newcomers.

If you are like me, you auditioned for dozens of schools. When I went through this process, each school offered their audition day in their own special ways. One school had a mock audition that we sat in, while another school had city tours. At Wagner College, we were happy to hold our in person auditions on February 20th with lively energetic laughter throughout the day to make the auditioners amped up for their time here.

My project quickly became a love letter to Anderson's films. Directed by Wes Anderson directed by Maddie Davies. I selected brief scenes from my four favorite movies of his and intermingled the scenes with tableaux from the rest of his films. The finished piece was quirky and weird and funny, and although it was all Wes Anderson, it was also somehow very much me.

This past month, I had the opportunity to speak with Tim Dolan, the owner of Broadway Up Close, a company of storytellers who share stories to help visitors get a closer look at the world of Broadway. There are three different components that make up Broadway Up Close - Tours, gifts, and workshops. The tours are given both in-person and virtually, going over a range of different topics related to Broadway.

Growing with Fefu and Her Friends just reminded me to think about my performance in the larger contact of us, an ensemble. In rehearsal, we come together to learn, fail, heal, and grow. I think that's the most important thing I take away from this production. Rehearsals are about becoming stronger together. It's the only way to put on a successful show.

Believe it or not, I didn't always enjoy theatre. I have done it for as long as I can remember, but there was about a two year gap when I thought I would be done for good. I wasn't excited about going to rehearsals anymore, I didn't want to perform in front of anyone. Being on stage didn't feel like something I wanted to keep doing. So, I eased out of it by helping with hair, makeup, and crew and then I thought I was done.

To preface this, most of these moments will likely come from Hadestown, and Hamilton because those are my favorite musicals -- 10. 'One Day More' - Les Misérables: One of my favorite things in musicals is when everyone sings different lines at the same time and then comes together near the end

Our student bloggers write about how they're coping with the current global health crisis, give insight on their school's performing arts programs, share their opinions on the latest theater news, and so much more. Portraying Cinderella, an interview with a theatrical producer, and more-- read the latest from our college student bloggers!

The more I learned about autism, the more I wanted to help the autistic community, especially because there is so little autism representation in media and art. I wrote a lengthy paper that proposed that special interests are the key to directing neurodivergent actors. Autists are experts in their special interests, and using specific parts of their special interest as reference allows a clear understanding of what is being asked. The step-by-step process is already complete by recalling a topic where the knowledge is already possessed. I used WandaVision as an example and explained how my method would work.

Before my days of finding my passion for being on stage, three year old me had a routine of finding my family's Cinderella VHS tape. The movie would be played on our television daily, and I would sing and dance along with it. Eighteen years later and I got to play the princess herself in Plaza Theatricals' production of Cinderella at the start of 2022. What's even more exciting is that we will be having more performances throughout May.

There were so many things about being a chair of a nonprofit that I did not understand. I knew I was hindering the other people involved in the organization. I decided to take a step back and step down from my responsibilities and just become a regular member of the organization. I could breathe again. I'm still overwhelmed, but I have more time to make connections with the people around me. Learning when to say no is a skill I am still learning to master but I think I am making progress. The question I have been asking myself in the dark of night has been answered. No. Life is about finding a balance. There are ways to make yourself feel more involved without overwhelming yourself by committing to things you don't even know how to do.

Without that little poem of mine, I would not be waking up extra early on Tuesdays to stretch before putting on a neutral mask... I wouldn’t be about to stage manage a show! I would be okay, but not happy, not satisfied with what I did in college. None of what I’m doing feels like a chore to me, and I couldn’t be happier now.

This year will not be easy, but I’m sure it will be great. If you’re a senior, congratulations, we’re almost done, but we still have ten months left, and if you’re not, you’re lucky, write your own story and enjoy every minute.

Yaya Wang is a theatrical producer, hostess, and CEO of a youth arts academy. She recently immigrated to the United States and produced the off-Broadway hit The Little Match Girl. Yaya used to host the 'Yaya Show' in China and was a TV broadcaster. She is committed to using citizen artistry for social change and empathy.

Our student bloggers write about how they're coping with the current global health crisis, give insight on their school's performing arts programs, share their opinions on the latest theater news, and so much more. An actor turned Assistant Stage Manager, planning a student-run cabaret, and more-- read the latest from our college student bloggers!

Winter is the mortal enemy of many vocalists, crushing us with those frigid temperatures that seem to seep into our bones and leave us shivering even long after we’ve gone back indoors. The cold causes our bodies to hunch over, shiver, and contract in an innate effort to keep ourselves warm, and this certainly does not help in keeping our breath flowing properly. The cold air also dries out our vocal folds, which also does not help in that we need some moisture on the vocal folds in order to sing. Not to mention- doesn’t it seem like everyone is sick in the winter? It always seems like vocalists just have to struggle through the winter season, but believe it or not, it is possible to sound (and, most importantly feel) just as wonderful in the cold weather as we do in the warmer months.

People are walking out in the storm. I envy them but I don't. I envy their willingness to look like fools. I wish I could just fail like that sometimes. But only sometimes. I don’t envy them because walking in this weather must suck. This brought me to the conclusion that I fear I have done my first semester of my BFA wrong.