Student Blogger: Ellie Weaver - Page 2

With Grammy season upon us, I decided to take a deep dive into the Grammys and the Tonys. How are these awards conducted and decided upon? Which Tony Award category matches most with the Grammy’s musical theater category? And most of all: is possible to predict the winner of Best Musical Theater Album based on who wins a Tony Award?

To improve at any skill, you need to practice. This is why performers attend voice, acting, and dance lessons. However, it is not possible to attend these classes daily. So how do you efficiently and effectively practice without a teacher or instructor present? The trick is learning to become your own teacher.

Shakespeare’s plays have been the inspiration for many beloved movies and musicals. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite movies and musicals that use the plot of various works by William Shakespeare. I encourage you to check out this list and see if you’ve been a secret fan of Shakespeare without even knowing it!

Social media has been entirely integrated into the theatre industry. It’s hard to find a Broadway show that isn’t active on Instagram or TikTok. Performers have taken to social media as well to advertise and create a name for themselves. As a high school performer, I have noticed both the positive and negative effects of social media’s involvement in the theatre industry. 

In the performing arts industry, I feel as though there is this notion that you always have to be doing something. There is this expectation that you should be constantly working on a new project or toward a new goal. This creates the myth that performers should feel guilty for doing “nothing.” But the truth is, this “nothing” can be just as productive as any “something.”

I realized that I wasn’t getting what I wanted to get out of my schooling. To fix this, I had to listen to my body and rest when I was tired (which was one of the reasons I started cyber school in the first place) and also advocate for myself.

I have been challenging myself to expand my horizons and listen to new genres and styles of music. I have come to love styles of music I never thought I’d listen to. Listening to a wider variety of music has helped me come to appreciate music as an art form. “Good music” can come in all shapes and sizes.

It is difficult to decide to voluntarily do something scary. To step outside of your comfort zone, you must consciously decide against your natural habits. As a performer, I have discovered the value of pushing myself to step outside my comfort zone. 

Musical theater is hard work and it is never going to be a walk in the park. But you never want to push yourself to the point where you lose your love for performing altogether. At one point or another, every performer will experience what is called “burnout.” Burnout is the feeling when performing loses its joy or spark.

The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do as a performer is nothing. Musical theater can be very hard on a performer’s physical and mental health. It is important to find a healthy balance between working and prioritizing your health. This balance has always been difficult for me to find.

Time management takes practice just like any other skill. Being great at managing time will be a tool that will help you in any walk of life. It will always feel like you are juggling a million things, but the balancing act will get easier over time.

Throughout my theater career, I have gone through periods of time where I have no confidence. I feel like I am a fake or not good enough or an imposter. So over the years, I have found a few tactics that help me maintain confidence and stay out of my head when I start to feel the negative thoughts overshadowing my abilities.

I could not be more excited for the summer I have ahead. I look forward to meeting lots of students my age who share the same passion for musical theater as I do at the Paper Mill Playhouse Conservatory. And most of all, I cannot wait to spend my days doing what truly makes me happy.