Student Blog: Bringing Something Different to the Table

Coming back to my “home” but bringing something a little different to the table is a way to describe my life with the theatre. Hello, Hello and welcome to my blog! Last time in my first blog I had mentioned how I wanted to talk about a major switch in my life. Quite literally a major switch for real. Last year I was a freshman theatre major, cut to this year I am now a marketing major but still participating in theatre. Now, it is such a long story why I am not a theatre major anymore. However, I believe it is important to talk about how there are other ways to participate in theatre without having to be a major, or just by bringing something new to the table. 

Now people believe that in order to be a part of a profession such as theatre you need a degree. Now this can be untrue and true no matter which way you look at it. I used to believe in that, and I sort of still do as I am in my hiatus of not participating in the major. However, there is something to be taught here. There are so many different ways to be a part of theatre besides performing that are just as important. Let’s be real, you cannot put on the most fabulous show without a team of people. You can participate in helping with the set, the costuming, the lighting, design, quick changes backstage, stage managing, assistant stage managing, props, dance captain, and much more.​​ Listed were options you can be a part of so you can still do theatre, just without performing if you are not feeling up for it, or just wanting to try something new. I think it is important that everyone in the theater, no matter what, should be well-rounded and understand that everyone’s jobs are equally just as important. 

Besides being hands on in helping with theatre, there is also a whole aspect behind it in a different way. The marketing and the advertisements are just as important! How else are you going to know there is a show or know where and when to go? Let’s talk about it! This I feel like is not talked about. Think about your favorite musical or favorite social media account that involves theatre. Now think of a post that was your favorite, was it advertising the show, making a reference post to the show, covering any sort of theatre news? That is marketing and advertisement! Look here at Broadwayworld.com after, or even now go ahead and look. I am sure there is an ad somewhere around my article, and I love that! The marketing/advertisement teams that run behind your favorite accounts are working their butts off to make sure you see their content, and come to their show. This is the new event that is becoming bigger across theatre departments, including high schools when they have their students running their social media. This is the “something” new brought to the table that is just as important. 

That is exactly what I did this past weekend, or well I have been doing this whole semester. I have come “home” to the theatre I used to practically live at with something new brought to the table. I am a part of the theatre club here at our university. It is the most fun I have ever had in a club, it gives the opportunity for students that are non theatre majors to come in and perform. Plus, we put together our own show every single year, including a fabulous creative team. We make it professional, yet enjoyable. This year I did not participate in the show, instead I was elected last semester to become an officer for our club. I was specifically voted as the Social Media Representative Officer. My job has been making the Instagram and Tiktok look fabulous while advertising the events that are going on around campus for us. Most recently was our show, we did All Nighter, fabulous play by the way. I have not had so much fun creating trinkets of things for social media in so long, I was lit up with a spark. I had not realized how proud I was of being the social media representative until I saw my poster on the big screen. I remember looking at it and becoming pretty emotional because it is a big thing to see. Yes, I know it’s not a billboard in Time Square, but it still meant the world to me. I have been feeling down about not performing, but seeing the printed programs I had made, and the poster on a big screen had made me feel proud. Proud and excited that I get to be a part of theatre in a different way. You can take the girl out of the theatre, but never the theatre out of the girl.

Like I have said in this whole blog, it is okay to not be a part of theatre in a performance way. There are so many different opportunities you can be a part of. Which is why you should never give up even if you do not get casted in a show or get something you do not want of the sort. There is one final thing I would like to say before sending you off, remember to just have fun. At the end of the day that is all that matters, that you have fun and make the connections that can create friendships for a lifetime. Let yourself be their star no matter what it is you are doing with theatre. Which is where I am going to leave you with a song lyric, “The fire and drive that make dreams come alive, they fill her soul she's in control” from Smash. Remember to keep smiling, everything will be alright. The Broadway Girl, Isabella Lukitsch