The great American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim once said, “Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.” Looking back at where I was last year, my life feels vastly different.

Leverage your college's unique creative community to stay involved with the arts. There are limitless opportunities to blend your passions!

It's that time of year again....finals! Time for exams, essays, presentations, and reflections. As an education student, I frequently reflect on my growth as a future teacher and the lessons I have learned that I plan to apply in my classroom.

As I prepare to step into the “real world”, I find that I am not stressed but excited to pursue my passion after years of dedication, training, and hard work. Read BroadwayWorld's student blog here.

This semester has been a lot. Between classes during the day, rehearsals at night, homework squeezed in anywhere it fits, and simply trying to remember that sleep and food are, in fact, non-negotiable human requirements!

Auditions for our spring semester shows are coming up. Last year I was auditioning for Between the Lines and As You Like It. Now, I’m getting ready for Urinetown and The Murder on the Orient Express. I ended up playing one of my very favorite roles in Between the Lines and am looking forward to working on our upcoming productions. I’m especially excited for Urinetown as a huge fan of satire, comedy and over the top musical theatre styles.

Where does the time go between senior year of high school and freshman year in college? I'm still not sure!

I was someone who was always onstage in high school, and now I have become someone who loves being behind the scenes and being a part of the magic offstage. In the words of Belle in Beauty and the Beast, I have had “no change of heart, a change in me.”

Sonia speaks on what it's like to miss memories and home while also move forward and chase her dreams. As people we are supposed to evolve, change, grow, and move on.

When I started college, I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted things to go. I knew I wanted to be in New York, and that part of my plan had already been achieved, so what was next?

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.