Student Blogger: Emily Scolnick

There’s another aspect of the parades each year that, although not quite as famous, has had me glued to the TV screen every year since I can remember: the Broadway performances. 

The fact that a show like Wicked can have such an emotional impact across generations proves that the longevity of Broadway shows as a whole should not and cannot be underestimated.

The most important thing is to prioritize yourself and your health, happiness, and well-being. Prioritize what you as a person and a performer need to feel confident and healthy going into a rehearsal, tech week, or performance.

Since I’ve gone back to school, my time has been split between classes, writing for my college’s newspaper, and lots and lots of theater. I’m in two productions right now—Legally Blonde and Newsies, also known as arguably two of the most iconic 21st century musicals—and auditions happened to be just a few days apart, making the first week of September a theater-filled week of craziness.

Here’s my advice to you: maintain your integrity, both academically and in every aspect of your life, including theater.

I wanted theater to be a way for me to escape into another world for a few hours a day, taking on a character and focusing on something that I know I can do and I know I can enjoy, whether that’s a music rehearsal, blocking session, or choreography. 

I think we’ve all experienced academic burnout at one point or another, but I didn’t appreciate that burnout could extend to a summer job until now. 

There is one thing that is always, always going to be a priority for me. This was the case in high school and remains the case in college, and my hope is that it continues to be a priority as I move into the real world. That thing, as you might have suspected, is theater.

Here’s a guide to what I’ve learned that helps me keep my life together, even during the busiest of times. Spoiler alert: for the most part, I’ve just gone back to the basics.

Touring productions make theater more accessible overall: not just geographically, but financially as well. Theaters in major cities and college towns offer rush tickets, student discounts, and giveaways catered to college students who might not get a chance to experience these shows otherwise.

That’s part of what summer is about: family. Whether it be your biological family, the family you find through the cast of a show, or your friends who become your chosen family, you want to spend your summers with people who make you happy.