Student Blogger: Carly Galbreth

Do you ever feel like you aren’t doing enough, aren’t involved in enough, aren’t working on enough shows, aren’t preparing enough for your future, etc, etc, etc, even though your gcal is full to the brim and you're making plans weeks in advance? Cuz same. All the time.

As performers, we must be loose but strong, locked in but calm, focused but nonchalant. It's a hard gig. I wouldn't trade it for any other journey, but it doesn't mean it's easy. They somtimes feel like juxtapositions, but performing and life are not mutually exclusive. Performing enhances my life, and my life enhances my performances.

After 3 months in New Hampshire and 4 months in Austria, I’m finally back on my college campus in North Carolina! Immediately, I jumped back into the theatre department, full steam ahead. This semester, my goal was to be involved in as many shows as possible (without overextending myself), and stretch myself to try new positions! Here’s what my semester looks like:

This semester, my home has been the 19th district of Vienna, Austria. I haven’t stepped foot in America in 110 days. In this blog, I will share what my experience has looked like and what it has taught me... and maybe convince you to study abroad!

Though course registration can be one of the most stressful times of year, I also think it’s the most fun! I love looking through all of my options and picking my ideal schedule. In this post, I’ll walk you through how I go about crafting my schedule.

I am taking a German class while studying abroad in Austria, and one of my recent assignments was to use the language in real life. I went to a local theater, the Josefstadt, and bought a ticket to an upcoming show!

The greatest beauty and biggest heartbreaks of life in theatre are the friends you make along the way. I have incredible friends around the country from various theatre contracts. Something about creating art together forges lifelong friendships unlike anything else. Unfortunately, the nature of theatre also necessitates constant goodbyes.

What’s the secret to saving almost $300 on theatre in one month? Experience it in Europe!! One of the beautiful things I’ve learned about Vienna is how cheap theatre is here! This month, I’ve seen two musicals, one opera, and two plays.

The most obvious difference was a lyric change in “Do-Re-Mi.” Instead of using solfege, they sang “C-D-E,” and each pneumonic was changed to reflect the note name (for example “D like the fast D-Tram”). My original shock grew when they sang 'H' after 'A.' This led me down a road of discovery, dating back to the time of Gregorian Chant.

This semester, I’m continuing my education abroad in Vienna, Austria!! Though I will not be directly studying theatre in class, there will be many ways I can expand my theatre knowledge out and about in Vienna. I’ve put together a bucket list of things to do this semester to keep my theatre education alive outside of the classroom!

I learned so much in the 10 weeks I spent in New Hampshire doing summer stock–from the ubiquitous Dunkin's to how to use certain power tools. Here's some of the highlights!

One of the best parts about working in summer stock is the amount of shows that happen in a summer. At my internship, we produce five shows in 10 weeks. However, this schedule is demanding. The hardest part of each show cycle (and my favorite part) is the 72 hours from closing one show to opening the next. Here's what my schedule looks like!

One of the most frequent questions I was asked as a child was “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I used to have an immediate answer–from teacher to reporter to anyone famous–but as I aged, I dreaded the question. I loved so many things, and I was scared to commit to one career path. Now, I've come to find more peace in this uncertainty.

I’m so excited to share another DITL! This time, it’s the tech week version! Since this was the first tech of the summer, it's not quite as hectic as changeover (72 hours to go from one show to the next) will be, but it's a great intro to how professional tech functions! Here is what the Tuesday before we opened on Wednesday consisted of for me:

Ever wonder what a summer stock internship looks like? This summer, I’m the electrics intern at Peterborough Players in New Hampshire. I spend my days working on the upcoming shows and spend my nights in a cabin on the theater’s campus. Here’s what a typical day in my life looks like when there is not a show running and we aren’t in tech.

College opens many opportunities. Some of them are enriching, like performances and internships. Others, like cheating and using artificial intelligence, can jeopardize learning. The fear of punishment from professors and the university are threatening, but my greatest motivation against cheating is my desire to be prepared after graduation.

Two months into college, I auditioned for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I was not cast in the show. After moving on from the frustration of rejection, I began to say “yes” to every opportunity that presented itself. These led to new experiences, a job, and an exciting internship! Read this article to learn about a few of my 'Yes's.

No one warns you about how difficult finals are in college (or at least I wasn't warned). Not only are they academically challenging, but the end of the year approaches, all you want to do is spend time with your friends and enjoy the sunny weather. Here's my official warning to you, as well as some advice on how you will make it to the other side!

How do a broken pit, unfinished set, and a sick actor result in six incredible performances of Urinetown (the musical!)? Love, determination, and a bit of theatre magic!

I obviously learn a lot about theatre from my theatre and music classes, but I’ve discovered the greatest beauty of a liberal arts education are the unexpected moments in which I experience theatre outside of the arts building. These experiences are helping me realize how applicable theatre is in all aspects of life. People are quick to criticize artistic and performance degrees, saying they produce false hopes that result in unemployment. However, I know my theatre degree will be relevant forever, even if I don’t pursue performing.