I thrive on staying busy, and despite the busy schedule with theatre, work, and school, I manage it all with careful planning, making sure to take time to relax, and having an incredible support system of friends and family.

Being in a BFA acting program, the start of a new school year typically feels like jumping onto an already running train. Therefore, the mental preparation for that jump begins now. Every school year brings a slightly different routine, but here are a couple of tools I have found along the way.

As I was living through my application nightmare, I can remember finding comfort in listening to and reading about other students’ experiences. So, I thought I might share a bit about my own experience along with some tokens of advice that helped me stay motivated - and mostly sane - as I crept my way to the finish line...

The days are flying by and I’m scared the days of my senior year are going to fly by too. But that isn’t a bad thing. That just means I’ve gotta enjoy them while I can and soak up as much sunlight from them as I can.

Broadway performers do 8 shows a week and I always hear actors talking about finding a continuous appreciation for performing a show many times, but I never actually got it. Currently, I am performing in Oklahoma! and am conquering 18 performances over 4 weeks. It has tested my endurance, but I am thankful to have such a different experience.

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.

Traveling to new places with exciting opportunities and experiences has always been a joy of mine. Being able to do it now with JMU through their Semester in Scotland study abroad program with a few of my theatre peers has been nothing but a blast. Here are some things I've learned and seen on my journey so far.

This summer, I spent six weeks in Florence, Italy studying Commedia dell’Arte with NYU Grad Acting Faculty. We studied verbatim theatre, Shakespeare, mask-making, neutral and character mask, and of course, Commedia dell’Arte. The program culminated in a devised and improvised final performance based on Molière’s text featuring popular songs by Billie Eilish, Fleetwood Mac, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

How can you stage manage shows, college courses, a part-time job and so much more? Destiny has some tips and tricks for that.

Once you’re settled into classes, and dorm life, and you have a few friends, that barreling freight train is going to come to a crashing halt. One day, you’re going to look around and ask yourself, “Am I doing enough? Am I busy enough?”.

Life as a theatre student in college is very rewarding but, it's not without its fair share of challenges. From having to still take regular school courses, finding time to practice and audition, and just taking time for yourself, here are some of my own tips on managing a hectic schedule.

What my future is looking like and what that means for my theatre journey. It's exciting, sad, and terrifying.

What I love about this question is that the person asking is wanting to be supportive and excited for you and your passion. What I hate about this question is that it adds another layer of pressure to an already stressful industry.

My name is Olivia Ruhnke and I am a rising junior at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama where I am training to receive my BFA in Acting. I hope I can offer some unofficial yet helpful advice to those looking to begin their college drama school journey and to those (like myself) who are just trying to make it through in one piece...

Hey aspiring actors! Ready to take your acting to the next level? Here are my top 10 tips to help you succeed. From honing your skills and mastering self-taping, to networking and finding flexible jobs, these tips will guide you on your journey. Let's get started!

The search for employment.  Universally hated, universally experienced.  Searching for jobs can be a very draining and exhausting process, especially when it stretches over a long period of time.  After a semester working on three very time-consuming productions, the prospect of a summer job got pushed to the back burner, something that “I would figure out later.”  

I have never done remote work before, and have never had the opportunity to work from home, so these past two weeks have been a learning experience for me. 

As I write this, I’m currently home sick in bed. However! I took the opportunity of time to post a Q&A on my Instagram asking for questions about my journey and careers in the arts! Here I’ll answer some of the questions I was sent

I have a lot of emotional ties to the musical “Merrily we Roll Along,” and I think I realized that as I was watching it, in real time. Which made it all the more surreal and otherworldly. It was an experience that quickly became reflective. 

Sometimes though in the summer, especially when I’m not doing any shows or anything like that, I can fall into a bit of a creative rut. So, I wanted to hop on here and talk about a few things I do throughout the summer to stay active in the arts.

I always leave feeling so inspired and creatively charged. It is truly a huge blessing and I am so lucky to go to a school where we are encouraged to take part in new work and we are given the opportunities to learn about many different aspects of our industry, and the Lanford Wilson Festival helps us do just that.

While this is probably common knowledge among actors, I quickly learned that little to no background research prior to auditioning put me at a disadvantage. Early on, if I was auditioning for a show that I didn’t know much about, I would go into it pretty much blind and hope for the best. I did not realize how much this affected me.

I am ready to step away from the strenuous academic and social life on campus. This summer, I have the opportunity to travel and try new things! I am looking forward to what I learn. I'm also excited to jump into planning for a potential play that I am assistant directing when I return to campus!

At International Thespian Festival, which I attended this past week, I had the opportunity to participate in a young playwrights professional development intensive hosted by the Dramatists Guild. This experience not only expanded my understanding of the business side of playwriting but also inspired me creatively in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

Hi there! Let me introduce myself! My name is Cat Boynton and I'm a Senior at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts studying Drama in the New Studio on Broadway (NSB). I also double-major in Journalism and double-minor in Producing and the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. When I'm not doing theatre, you'll often find me songwriting, running along the Hudson, hanging out with my cows in South Florida, or eating some pasta! :) Let's be friends! @catboynton