BWW Blog: Staying Inspired While Staying Inside

With Broadway and regional theaters closed, stuck at home, and the possibility of the fall semester being online, it's been hard to stay motivated. Through this quarantine summer, I've found a couple of ways to continue to work on my craft and stay inspired while staying inside.

I've had so much time on my hands during this quarantine, but it's been perfect to work on special skills. I've learned lots of random skills like knitting and cooking, as well as working on my piano and sight-singing skills. All of these are not only useful but skills I can add to my resume and beneficial for future roles. All this downtime has not only allowed me to catch up on movies and tv shows but also on cast albums and musicals. I've watched shows on BroadwayHD, and I've expanded my musical playlist in these few months. Watching musicals has kept me excited about theater, regardless of whether it's live or through streaming. Although I really miss taking in-person dance classes, I've found that online dance classes are a great way to stay in shape. I've been able to take classes from choreographed from around the world. This is an excellent opportunity for dancers to learn new styles and experience different teachers; they usually wouldn't be able to.

Social media has allowed me and countless other theater kids to share their talents and connect with each other. The social media app TikTok has a fantastic community of theater fans from all over the world. Some people like to post memes about their favorite musicals, while others enjoy posting singing videos. Posting, commenting, and sharing these videos have kept me inspired and excited about the new generation of theater creators. I have met some amazingly kind and talented people in this app who work collaboratively to create art within the confines of social distancing.

Being stuck at home can be dull and uninspiring. Still, there are countless opportunities to stay ready and in shape for when theaters open again.