Sixteen years of pre-professional ballet training didn't only teach me how to survive a coda after a lengthy pas de deux. It instilled a skill set that has proven invaluable in my communications career. While I initially felt behind peers who explored relevant skills in high school, I quickly learned that much of what I learned as a dancer translated directly to my courses and, ultimately, my career. Now, I’m sharing tips for how you can translate your rehearsal room expertise into success beyond the stage.

Jagged Little Pill is exactly that kind of art, healing, challenging, and transformative. And for Dillon Klena, it became a personal journey, one that would leave a lasting legacy on the show and on himself.

Junior year has brought more assignments, responsibilities, tasks, and performances than I’ve ever handled before, and it has pushed me to develop a range of tools and skills to manage my time while also improving how I interact with my peers.

I still like to go out to Buttercup Bakeshop, or get a daydream latte at Blank Street with my friends, but putting it all in moderation helps me perform better and stay focused. Read BroadwayWorld's student blog here.

This time last year, I was living in England, watching the same transformation unfold across the historic streets of Bath. I was studying abroad, far from everything familiar, and yet it felt like exactly where I was supposed to be.

Auditions are a core part of a theatre student’s growth and development and serve as a fantastic practice for mastering presentation under stress. I asked 15 Seniors in Hofstra’s BFA Theatre Performance program for their advice on managing nerves and putting your best foot forward when auditioning, specifically for college or university productions.

Being able to audition for a Broadway show was something I had never thought was possible, yet, somehow, I got the opportunity! With two days' notice, I had to get my material ready and learn the material they had provided. I was beyond nervous, mostly because I did not entirely know what to expect.

Amidst the intensity of mid-semester life in a BFA program, staying grounded is essential. Here are three simple tools that keep me focused, organized, and fully present as both a student and an artist.

There has never been a time in my life where performance and art has not followed me. Truthfully, my biggest comfort in life is that no matter where I am, no matter who I am, my first loves will always be there with me.

All theater tells a story, that’s its timeless magic. Whether through a musical or a monologue, performance has always been a mirror to humanity. But there’s something uniquely powerful about a cabaret with a purpose that lies beyond entertainment.

All my life, I grew up belting those words from Seasons of Love, one of my favorite songs from Rent. Back then, I sang them simply because I loved the song. I never truly understood their meaning.

As the cliche says, you are who you surround yourself with. The second you enter a room, you are now part of it. Pursue knowledge, make connections, and give yourself a little more grace when that doubt creeps in: you deserve to be here.

Looking back, I still feel like a very different person now than I was then. I feel more sure of who I am, and more confident in being myself and setting the boundaries that are important to me.

It seems this is a problem that not only plagues me, but also many of my peers. Indeed, my friends, it is time to pull out your masks and hazmat suits because we are in a dire epidemic of forgetting how fun the holidays can be.

Remember when Josh Groban said 'Hire a former theatre kid. I don't care what your business is. It will go better if you hire a former theatre kid?' Well, I think he was right. This is how working in theater prepared me to step into the world of film.

The past three and a half years have absolutely flown by, but I believe that is because I have had the opportunity to take full advantage of my time at USC. I have gathered so many new thoughts along the way, all of which have crafted me to become a better, more mature version of myself!

On October 28, I was fortunate enough to sit down on Zoom with Cher Álvarez and Patrick Heusinger, the two leading performers of the show to chat about their careers and being a part of this amazing franchise in a new way.

When I first applied to colleges, I had no idea what I wanted to study. I mean, really, I had no clue what I wanted to do. I claimed I would major in psychology, but deep down, I believed I would choose English instead.

If you cringed at the word “audition”, don’t worry, we all do it. Every single one of my actor friends dreads auditions and if you tell me you look forward to them, you don’t have to lie, this is a safe place.

I have done (almost) every job in theater you could think of…. I’ve helped produce, done PR, play selection committees. I’ve written works, edited works, worked on staged readings, dramaturged…jack of all trades, master of some!

Between starting a new semester and my last year of college, preparing for my acting thesis, and taking the time to install new lights and prepare my theater for this season, the beginning of the year was hectic for me, to say the least. What kept me going through the work and preparation was simply the excitement. The excitement of beginning anew, the excitement of my senior year, and most importantly, the excitement to create art.

Memorization is typically one of the most dreaded processes of every show. Many young actors shiver at the thought of “off-book” day, not even knowing where to start. Here are three effective techniques to drill your lines into your long-term memory while also improving your performance skills.

There’s something sacred about theatre, about being in a room with people who are all trying to tell a story together. You start as castmates, and somehow you become this little family. You share late nights, inside jokes, emotional breakdowns, caffeine addictions, all for the sake of creating something that’s gone the moment the lights fade. And maybe that’s the point. Theatre is fleeting. Life is fleeting. And that’s what makes it beautiful.

​This past summer, I was incredibly fortunate to work on two different shows: I played Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie at Otterbein Summer Theater and Fredrika in A Little Night Music at The Hawaii Performing Arts Festival.

I am a sophomore Liberal Arts student at the Community College of Philadelphia with plans to transfer next year to study communication & theater. I have been working in the Philly theater community for about two years now and love it.