Since I was very young, theatre has been the thing that I orbit. I have always looked at the world through a theatrical lens, in both the way I view society and my position within the communities I am a part of, as well as in the media that I consume.

At an elite dance studio in my hometown, dancers show up for practice like clockwork.But these dancers aren’t worried about triple pirouettes or perfectly pointed toes. They are there simply for the love of dance and the love of each other.  

While that uncertainty hurts the Type A side of me, the fear is motivating, and I find it to be extremely helpful to be somewhat on the side of the unknown.

The semester ended, and I hopped on a train to New York City. With sheet music in my hands and showtunes in my earbuds, I was ready for my 54 Below debut. What is it really like to perform at one of NYC’s most iconic cabaret spaces?

Regardless of whether you find yourself onstage, backstage or simply watching the stage, you'll find that what you take with you past the proscenium travels further than you'd expect.

Looking back on this experience, I have learned a considerable amount  about myself as a writer, theatremaker, and student. However, I am most surprised by how this experience has reignited my love of casual writing, along with just how deeply it has aided in personal reflection as an artist.

Mental health within the arts is a conversation I feel deeply connected to, both personally and professionally, and I think part of what makes writing about it difficult is how revealing it can feel.

I am going to make the progress I need to make on my own timeline, even if it doesn’t happen all at once, and I am always evolving as an artist and as a person, and that will never change.

“Into the Woods, it’s time to go, I hate to leave, I have to though.” There’s something haunting about those lyrics from Into the Woods. The older I get, and the more I write about theater, the more I realize they’re really about memory.

Something that I feel is overlooked for actors is developing skills aside from acting. There's the pressure to just choose something and stick with it. I decided to share my experiences of trying things other than performing and how they have benefitted me, both as an actor and as a human.

Writing about theatre has not made me an expert, but it has made me a far more attentive observer, and that has been the biggest surprise of all.

So looking back, what has surprised me most is how much truth and knowledge I already had in me, even if I didn’t fully believe it or see it all working out at the time.

It's not every day that you get to speak with the composer of the musical you're working on. A few weeks ago I sat down with Sarah Taylor Ellis, composer of Emma: No One But Herself, our mainstage musical here at UCLA!

Theater is not a trustworthy, stable, formulaic path, and it never will be, that’s just the nature of our field. It is, however, the reason to wake up in the morning, the only thing that lights your soul on fire, and the place you can label home when you feel there is nowhere to go. So the question then becomes: How can I have a lifelong, fulfilling, stable career in the Theater? 

In order for there to be a true appreciation for the amount of labor that goes into creating a show, theatre students must understand each element of the work required to put it on. The immense amounts effort put in by technical shop workers can often go overlooked; their tireless work not fully understood by others involved in the production. For respect and cohesion, I believe that it is important for every theatre student to spend time working in technical shops. 

For a long time, I assumed everyone experienced music the way I did—that sound came with color, that certain notes carried specific shades.

This spring really feels like a turning point. Instead of waiting for directors and casting teams to see me differently, I am taking responsibility and expanding how I see myself. It is definitely uncomfortable at times, but it is working, and I am excited to keep exploring this. 

Now, when I am put in similar situations, I am able to take a step back and know that most of the time things work out in the way they are supposed to, and having experienced this, I know that things can go wrong and still work out.

As artists, I think it’s so important to show up for each other in all the ways we can, especially in a world where it often feels like art is becoming more commercialized and artificial in many ways. Getting involved locally and supporting the work of our community members can influence and steer us towards many new opportunities of our own.

I am a week away from the midway mark in the pursuit of a college musical theater degree. It’s halftime. Shouldn’t that mean I am several steps closer to self-assured plans for the future? 

I made it my goal for 2026 to see more live theatre. Additionally, I wanted to challenge myself by seeing shows that I have never gotten the chance to see before. In this blog, you will read my thoughts about the three new shows that I saw and how they inspire me as a performer.

A behind-the-scenes look into how I’m wrapping up the semester with some comedy finals!

Working on the premiere of Carmilla, The Musical forced me to rethink everything I associate with vampire stories, and their typical association with musicals. As the fight choreographer, I tried to show that ambiguity, creating movement that asks whether what we’re watching is a fight… or something far more intimate.

As I am nearing the end of my sophomore year, I’ve been thinking a lot less about where I should be and more about where I am, both as a person and as an artist. My focus recently has been on having faith in the process in new ways, rather than the often-daunting “trust in the process” that can feel so far out of reach.

Spring has always felt like a natural time to reset. There’s something about the shift in seasons that makes me reflect on where I’ve been and where I want to go next. When it comes to theatre, this moment feels especially important for me because I’m in a stage of growth where I’m not just doing the work, I’m trying to understand who I am within it.