Student Blogger: Shelby Lewis

There has never been a time in my life where performance and art has not followed me. Truthfully, my biggest comfort in life is that no matter where I am, no matter who I am, my first loves will always be there with me.

If you’ve been at all involved in the last few years with theater on college campuses and in high schools or with new theatrical work in general, chances are you’ve noticed the trend of “girlhood plays” cropping up across pretty much all theatrical spaces.

As a college student studying both in theater and education, I am worried about the future of arts production and integrity as we rely further and further on generative AI. While there are absolutely some practical and innovative uses of artificial intelligence, it genuinely is scary to see this tool being abused so heavily and immediately by people across all fields. So, where does artificial intelligence fall within the realm of artistic integrity and our creative industries?

As a college student currently in the midst of finals, I understand the pain of doing loads of school work and trying to organize for the end of the semester while being exhausted by an entire year's worth of hard work. And as a theater student, I understand doing all that while managing productions, auditions, applications, and finding future opportunities. So, I've found some specific tools to help avoid the looming dread that is burnout at the end of the year. 

I often hear people talk about the importance of saying no to the things that aren’t good for you. And while I agree wholeheartedly with the theory, I would propose a revision.  When building a career or an understanding of theater (or anything really), you must try new things and find what, and how much, is right for you. It's not just about knowing when to say no or what opportunities to take.

Ella Sigurdsson is a costume designer, makeup artist, and theater artist; along with being a full-time student in the department of theatre arts at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU). I recently had the opportunity to speak to Ella about how she handles her life as a costume designer, pursuing a career, being a full time student, and her social media presence; all while keeping her passion for design.