Dear Grantaire, When I first read Les Misérables at the age of 14, I have to admit that you were not my favorite character.

College is going to look a little different next year. Specifically, for those in highly interpersonal fields, such as the performing arts. The stream of COVID-related emails from university heads are foreshadowing transitions in both quality of life and the way classes are operated.

I will never understand what it means to be a black person living in America right now. I cannot say better what has already been said. However, I will use my voice in any way I can to fight for justice.  a??a??a??a??a??a??a??

My first-time directing was all thanks to a Facebook post. It was September of 2019, and my second year of college was just getting started.

In August of 2019, I began my freshman year as a Musical Theater major in the School of Theater, Film, and Media Arts at Temple University in Philadelphia. I had not pictured myself going to school in a city, however as soon as I visited, I fell in love!

I have expressed to my friends how grateful I am that even though my hometown may not be as educated and vocal about the systemic racism deeply rooted in our country, at least my school friends are. 

a?oeGive the people A day of peace. A day of pride. A day of justice We have been denied. Let the new day dawn, Oh, Lord, I pray... We'll never get to heaven Till we reach that day.a?? - Ragtime

With so much going on in the world, and so many other stories to be told and amplified, my perspective on theatre school feelsa??a little bit small. However, I also know that perhaps this message is one some people may need to hear at this moment, and so I will share.

The groundedness I felt after voice class, my entire body tingling with sensory awareness and of every acting impulse I had. The freedom of jumping into an impulse at 100%. I realized I had a voice and that I could take up space. 

We all know dating is hard, but dating in as a Musical Theatre major? Insanely difficult.

What happens if current social distancing impacts the audiences attending live theatre in the long term? The world will likely not look the same post pandemic.

My life changed for the better on my eighth birthday. My loving parents gifted me with tickets to the touring production of The Lion King because it was coming to Atlanta around my big day.

I reflect and realize that those are things that I, a white male, could do without any issue before the virus. Not just without issue, but without the chance of being harassed, attacked, or even killed for the color of my skin. 

As a theatre person, we go through high school assuming that in order to be successful and make our big break, we have to go to one of the top theatre schools in the country. But my experience as a Theatre Arts major at a community college in New Jersey has proven the exact opposite.

When deciding to pursue an education in Musical Theatre, it took a lot of convincing to my peers, counselors, and voice teachers that I'd be ready to go for it. My parents on the other hand were incredibly supportive, so that's something I was truly grateful for. However, nothing prepared me for what took place in some of those audition rooms.

How did this Brazilian girl find her way into writing blog posts for BroadwayWorld? To be honest, sometimes, I find myself asking this question as well.

Equality. It feels like we've been fighting for years, decades, ages. Yet, why does nothing seem to change? Racism is not a new issue. Innocent black lives are constantly being taken, whether we see videos or not. The world is bleeding, America is burning, and we are tired.

I'm here. These words are championed by theatrical hero Celie from The Color Purple. These words inspire Celie to scream out to the world that she is beautiful and has the right to live a wonderful life. These words must echo across the nation in support of black lives. We all must be here for black lives. 

I never in a million years thought that I would live through a global pandemic. Just saying it aloud now that we are in the middle of one still feels incredibly strange.

In my journey from community college to university I've come across some obstacles with the current changes. With the help of my Professors and peers I've discovered some tricks to help navigate this tricky time. 

My immediate thoughts were along the lines of: a?oeHow on earth do they expect students to retain any kind of theatre teaching in solely an online setting?a?? a?oeWhat will be their expectations of us moving forward?a?? a?oeWill I continue to succeed or lose interest?a?? a?oeWhat will I do for my dance class?a?? 

Did you ever see the video of the cast of Be More Chill finding out they were going to Broadway? That's how we felt.

It was on Wednesday, March 11th that Princeton announced to students that the rest of the 2020 Spring semester would be virtual. By the time that Wednesday rolled around, not only were Princeton students knee-deep in midterms and excitedly preparing for Spring Break, but the reality of the virus was quickly settling in.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I earned my Bachelors in Theater. At least I did virtually. As a member of the class of 2020, my final semester of college came to an end abruptly back in March.

In the first week it was a whirlwind of singing for voice teachers so I could be placed with the right one, running from ballet to tap classes to be put in a dance level that would make sure I didn't end up with someone who had been dancing since the age of three, an abundance of meetings about what to expect, and meeting my new classmates.