Student Blog: Finding a Textual, Theatrical Community
Re-discovering my love for writing, and relishing in the collective of theatrical scholars I stand amongst.
This is my first time ever writing professionally about theater. This space has taught me to approach this field I love so much from a different angle. It has given me a place to digest pieces that I watch, or have meaningful conversations with people within the industry that I admire. However, most importantly, it reconnects me with my love for words. I’ve always loved to read, often finding solace within the comfortable dialogue of a play, book, or the daily articles I get in my inbox. Through Broadway World, I’ve developed an unknown pride for something other than performing. My whole life has centered around the stage, and so I’ve learnt to live in the pride of those accolades, putting the more academic ones on the backburner. Yet through this program, I’ve re-discovered a passion in a more professional way; a way of which I am extremely proud. I feel incredibly grateful to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and write about this industry from a unique, youthful perspective. I’m proud to be a part of this community, and I am dually proud to use my words in expressing that devotion.
Along with this came another kind of community, different from any company I’ve been a part of. The collective of writers that are a part of the Student Blogger program are all incredibly knowledgeable and exhibit such love for Theater through their words that I can’t help but feel inspired by their genius. When I feel as if I’m completely alone in a career struggle, looking at the weekly articles has made me feel supported and uplifted by strangers that live all around the country.
Additionally, I’ve reconnected with friends and mentors for interviews, granting me the opportunity to ask them questions, evolving into lengthy conversations about their work. To learn what drives each of my friends artistically has been such a privilege.
The cherry on top of this entire experience is the grounding power of text. When I approach the world from a textual angle, I am forced to be where my feet are, and breathe in the world around me. This sounds unnecessarily complex, and maybe it is, but for me it makes perfect sense. When I search for article ideas every month on top of our assigned prompt, I must examine the world around me for inspiration. This examination has led me to watch and attend more theater than I ever have in my life. Most of this theater is right in Los Angeles! I grew up thinking that New York was a theater town, and L.A. was meant for film. Yet the more I immerse myself in the theatrical scene here, the more I realize what it has to offer. I don’t believe I would be nearly as explorative if it was not for Broadway World. Thank you to the tiny but mighty force of readers that choose to click on my articles, writing for BWW has been an absolute dream come true.
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