Stressed out? Burned out? Hanging by a string? Here are some insight from a freshman acting major on dealing with burnout, even when it seems like it's impossible to move forward.

My younger brother Josh and I have always had a strong bond over our mutual passion: we are both theatre kids. While I am preparing to graduate high school, Josh is an incoming freshman, and him and his friends are about to join the crazy and loving Agoura High School theatre community that I am leaving. We both wanted to think of some way to bridge the gap between my high school theatre family and Josh’s 8th-grade theatre friends, all who would be together next year. After much brainstorming, the Broadway Bound Party was born.

It's no fun when you are blocked creatively, but it's also not fun when the block is removed when you want nothing more than just sleep. But when the call is sounded, you have to answer it.

The performing arts demand a unique form of vulnerability. Artists, whether on stage or behind the scenes, share their deepest emotions with audiences, often at the expense of their own mental and emotional well-being. In an industry where perfectionism and emotional intensity are paramount, the distinction between the artist and their work becomes blurred, leading to mental health challenges that are often overlooked. 

I get it can be hard to be by yourself, especially if you have a laundry list of things to do, but I promise you, if you take time for yourself, even if it’s only for an hour, the quality of your work will be a million times better. Also, listen to your body, it knows what it needs.

I have not been in the theatre world, for a long time. I have never even been a theater student. I actually just auditioned for my first show this past week. I did not get a part but it was still exhilarating. I am proud of myself for even showing up. I think that is a big deal. It must get tiring to put oneself in such a vulnerable position to not see the result you want BUT that does not take away what you learn about yourself, your strength, and the craft with every step of training.

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. 

Hello y’all! For the next couple of months, I’m shining a light on one of the coolest parts of UC San Diego’s theatre department. Every spring quarter features a culmination of artistry that brings grads and undergrads together from all theatrical disciplines: the Wagner New Play Festival. The engine that revs the festival to life is the cohort of MFA playwrights. Each of them spends fall and winter quarters working on a piece ahead of its world premiere production in the spring. We have five playwrights this year, so this article is the fifth installment of a five-part series where I’ll be sitting down for a conversation with each of them. I hope reading these will be half as much fun as I had putting this together.

Welcome back for part 2 of How To Build A Portfolio where I take you on my journey through our showreel module and hopefully these blog help you discover what might be helpful for your portfolio too. If you have not read part 1, you can find it here, which details more of the voice aspect of the showreels. This one entails more of the movement aspects such as acting and dancing which are more ensemble/partner-heavy.

Today marks my 20th birthday. That feels surreal to say out loud. For someone who has spent most of her life in motion—as a dancer, a performer, and someone constantly chasing growth—it is both humbling and eye-opening to pause and reflect. This milestone doesn’t just mark another year; it invites a moment to truly acknowledge how much has shifted within me, around me, and through me. 

Although I am going to be a BFA musical theatre major next year, I have never been the lead in any of my high school musicals. I’ve been lucky enough to be cast as the comic relief, the antagonist, and the pivotal role of ensemble #7 in “Cinderella.” Throughout high school, I have had many disappointments, and a lot of times it felt like it stemmed from the fact that I’m 4 foot 10, spritely, and cute - not the typical ingenue. I felt like I wasn’t being taken seriously and it started to take its toll on my confidence. And while this is of course disappointing, I needed to learn to make the best of it. I may not get every opportunity possible, but I found a way to prioritize what I really want and make my own.

I am also so fortunate that one of my best friends also got chosen to direct it, and our cast is so wonderful and has done a beautiful job of bringing this story to life.

Last Thursday was World Theatre Day, a.k.a. the day that every theatre kid’s Instagram story is suddenly filled with content. But over 60 years since its founding in 1961, World Theatre Day has become more than just a reason for social media activity. 

I absolutely loved this trip. It was such a positive experience and it really solidified my plans of wanting to move to New York after graduation.

Just a little moment of me re-evaluating my time management skills and my work-life balance after my spring break almost completely tipped into the opposite territory I'm used to.

​​​​Managing coursework, student involvement, friends, and good grades is a difficult thing to learn. In high school, the structured school days took the time management out of the hands of students. Now in college, with less structured days I have the ability to make my own routine from scratch.

For my spring break this year, I ventured into my first-ever solo vacation. It was my first time on a plane in two years, and my first time flying alone - as alone as one can be in Laguardia airport, that is. 

Every actor, at some point in their career, has faced rejection, whether from an audition, a workshop, or a prescreen. While we all dream of booking our dream roles and becoming a star on the first attempt, very few people ever get to experience that, unfortunate as it is. Growing up in the theatre, my perspective on rejection has evolved as I’ve aged. Here are some things I’ve learned over time based on my own experiences of rejection:

In any case where your passion is integrated into your work, it can be easy to forget to take a break. I love theatre so much, so it can be difficult to remember that it’s still work, regardless of how much I love the outcome of it. In that, it’s hard to remember that rest is important, and that even though I’m choosing to study and pursue theatre of my own volition, it’s still valid when I need time away from it. 

As a theatre major with a passion for stationary and a love of organization, if there’s one thing I know, it’s planning. Life as an aspiring actor can be busy on the best days and absolutely insane on the worst, so it’s important to have a clear idea of where you are and what you need to do to get where you want to go on a daily basis. 

They always say it’s a whirlwind this time of year, and honestly, that feels about right. It’s trying to juggle a million things at once, hoping nothing falls apart. As an Entertainment Business major training in the performing arts, I’m constantly juggling the push and pull between creative expression and the pressures of academic and professional life.

This trip started out very unexpectedly. It began with me waking up on a Friday at 5 am to get to the train station by 7 am. However, I was in for a surprise when the line to get to the platform was incredibly long. I stood in it for about 5 minutes until I asked someone what it was for. To my bewilderment, I discovered they had found an old World War II bomb on one of the tracks and all trains that day had been canceled. I began to panic because I had tickets to see The Devil Wears Prada that night and a hotel booked, both of which would not give refunds.

Midterms stressful? Feeling stressed, upset, tired, angry, overwhelmed? Here's how an acting major survives balancing both this pursuit of acting and long week of midterms. Balancing midterms at a performing arts high school while being in productions and pursuing acting is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do. Especially right now, the beginning of spring.

Hello y’all! For the next couple of months, I’m shining a light on one of the coolest parts of UC San Diego’s theatre department. Every spring quarter features a culmination of artistry that brings grads and undergrads together from all theatrical disciplines: the Wagner New Play Festival. The engine that revs the festival to life is the cohort of MFA playwrights. Each of them spends fall and winter quarters working on a piece ahead of its world premiere production in the spring. We have five playwrights this year, so this article is the fourth installment of a five-part series where I’ll be sitting down for a conversation with each of them. I hope reading these will be half as much fun as I had putting this together.

Burnt out, stressed out, hanging by a string? Here's how I handle intense & immense amounts of work, responsibilities and perseverance for the theatre as a freshman acting major.