Just because you aren't pursuing a BFA doesn't mean that you have to give up your passion. While Villanova doesn’t offer any direct theater tracks at the master’s level, the arts are undoubtedly very prevalent on our campus.

Over the years, although staying motivated and avoiding procrastination and boredom has always been difficult for me, as I have an unfortunate tendency to get busy and then procrastinate assignments until it’s very nearly too late, I have gradually come to realize that I do my best work under pressure.

My mom came to musical theater through me. I am not sure why she wasn’t already there. My earliest memories of her include dancing and singing. Read BroadwayWorld's student blog.

If you’re somebody who wants to study theatre, you want the arts to be part of your life. That thing that, to me, I already said is, what makes this place (Manhattanville) special is that you can come and discover what kind of artist you are.

It’s a nice thought to think of theater as for everybody, a universal language we all can speak through sound, emotion, and visuals. Theater has an inherently political nature that can push, or prevent, its viewership. 

Do you ever feel like you aren’t doing enough, aren’t involved in enough, aren’t working on enough shows, aren’t preparing enough for your future, etc, etc, etc, even though your gcal is full to the brim and you're making plans weeks in advance? Cuz same. All the time.

About a month ago, I made the decision to shift my career focus to Musical Theater Performance after 3 years in college as a Flute Performance major. This is my story about finally listening to the dreams planted in my head and following my intuition

Staying motivated as an artist is incredibly challenging. It’s easy to get discouraged as an artist; we are plagued by burnout, lack of inspiration, and frustration.

February is always a weird month. The excitement of a new year fades, and suddenly it feels like the days are just full of classes, rehearsals, and life getting in the way. Motivation can feel slippery, like you want to keep going, but everything feels heavier than it should. I’ve been thinking a lot about what keeps me moving, especially as a theatre artist.

How can young artists stay motivated to keep pursuing and enhancing their skills? How does being in an academic environment shape our mindset as performers? In this article, I will share my own experience when feeling unmotivated and how I keep going in order to stay on track with my creative goals. 

It’s times like these that I have to remind myself it is a privilege to create. I have built a life for myself at college where my extracurricular obligations include doing things I love, whether it be choreographing a line dance or making a promotional video for a musical. My busy schedule revolves around creating pieces and moments that will bring joy to others; how lucky am I?

“Just do it.” “Dream big.” “Trust the process.” We hear these mantras everywhere and all the time, so why not incorporate them into our daily lives as performing artists?

I'm reminding myself that it's always progress over perfection, and when something is meant for me, it won't pass me by. I’m sticking with my “the show must go on” mindset, pushing through the tough moments, and trusting that every step I take is part of the journey I’m meant to be on.

My name is Jess Pizzimenti, and this is my first blog post. I want to introduce myself to you through what motivates me to stay creative.

I’m not here to gush about myself though. I’m here to gush about Heathers. And this all leads to the grand question of why am I so obsessed with it? I don’t think I could pinpoint a single specific reason, but there’s one thing that resonates with me that is so deeply clear and important. And that is rooted in the very first lines of the show: “September 1st, 1989. Dear Diary, I think I’m a good person.”

It wasn’t so much the class work or the demands of a college musical theater program that were difficult, though that all kept me on my toes. It was dealing with surprising peer conflict that weighed on me like boulders in my backpack.

Growing up in the theatre community, it has always been important to me to have mentors to look up to that support and give constructive feedback - in fact, it has been vital to forming my love for this craft. And now as I begin my formal training in something that used to just be my hobby… having a guide to build my confidence has been invaluable.

As performers, there is an ever-lingering pressure to be constantly busy (I know I have fallen for this trap before!). Read BroadwayWorld's student blog here.

Committing myself fully to dance despite lack of experience has been a massive challenge. It’s difficult not to feel out of place in environments like this. I know I won’t be the best in the class, oftentimes I’m the worst, but I’ve taught myself to quite literally ‘trust the process’.

What does it mean to adapt Shakepspeare’s Julius Caesar for the 21st century? Well, here in Philadelphia, a local theatre company is answering that question with a captivating new adaption of this Shakespeare classic.

We talk often about loving the arts, but far less about how that love is sustained over time. In conversations about theatre, devotion is usually framed through sacrifice: long hours, constant availability, the unspoken expectations.

When things get rough and a show is going off the rails I try to remember why I do all of it. I do theater because of the community, because I love creating something that brings so many people joy despite the chaos it takes to balance everything.

Self-doubt, burnout, and impostor syndrome snuck back into my dorm with me my second semester of theater school. This is how I’ve learned to navigate creative burnout with honesty and self-compassion. Caring deeply isn’t a weakness — it’s the reason I’m here.

You’ve probably heard of the Sunday scaries, but what about the February frights? As a college student, February marks the real start to the semester. Winter break is a thing of the past, I have settled into my new schedule, and midterms are creeping in. All the while, my brain is still stuck in December, and suddenly the shortest month of the year is half gone.

These years may not be easy, but they’re important, and your feelings and mental health are the most important of all.