You've probably read enough 'new year, new me' clichés to last you a lifetime, so let me spare you. No, I don't think I'm starting off 2020 as a completely changed woman. We're in the middle of the school year, and I really don't think there is much that can change overnight and magically transform me just because 2019 ended. However, I do believe that 2020 has the potential to bring forth opportunities that can lead to a change for the better in my personal well-being and success.

I am fortunate enough to have grown up in a rich theatre community full of opportunities at every turn. Still, though, I found myself refreshing audition notice pages waiting for that special show to appear so I would finally get my chance at whatever dream role I was fixated on at that time. We've all been there. After years of disappointment-filled waiting, I made a decision that would change the trajectory of my life. I decided to produce it myself. I encourage you to do the same thing.

There's a lot of pressure when you want to pursue a career in the arts. That's been my experience at least. Because of that, I find the need to be on top of things and doing the best work I can all of the time. For awhile, I thought that meant not being honest with myself or other people about my mental health. I'm a huge advocate for talking about mental health and removing the stigma that kept me from reaching out for so long, so here's what I haven't been as open about as I should.

One of the strangest things about moving to college, provided that you aren't still living at home, is getting used to being away from home. I personally didn't have a hard time adjusting to being away from my family even though I was over 2,000 miles away, but it was incredibly weird. To me it felt freeing.

When I was younger I never quite understood the hype surrounding the end of a year and the start of a new one. The traditions of counting down the last minute of New Year's Eve, making loud noises and yells when the clock struck twelve, engaging in champagne toasts with my family are moments of this precious holiday that I took part in, but I never really grasped the beauty behind why we do these things, and what they really mean.

Resolutions. Plans. Discoveries. These are what people think of when a new year begins and I'm no exception. When a new year comes around, we want nothing more than to improve our lives through fitness, eating healthier, and getting more sleep, among the many mental changes we want to strive towards. However, I believe one of the most overlooked resolutions is seeing more theatre.

School breaks are hard, especially if your job is an on-campus job like mine is, and if you like to stay busy. Usually during breaks, I get so bored that I don't know what to do with myself since I'm so used to being busy during the school year. In October, I was told about a Christmas break job that would involve me dressing as an elf and greeting people. It sounded easy enough and honestly, even a little bit fun, so I reached out to the person in charge and got the job.

I had the pleasure of seeing Waitress on its North American tour this past weekend at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California. I was truly blown away by all aspects of the performance. It had me smiling and laughing throughout, and maybe even shedding a tear or two at times. To be completely honest, I didn't know what to expect going into seeing it.

When I was younger, I always thought I needed to go to an event with a family member or a friend or I would feel awkward and alone, but as I've gotten older I've realized that seeing a show by yourself can be enjoyable and liberating. A few years ago, I went to my first show by myself; Avenue Q Off-Broadway. It was probably one of the best shows you can possibly see by yourself too because of the message behind it.

I jumped at the opportunity to join the scenic crew of one of UCI's mainstage productions. Three days before tech, I replaced someone who dropped out, and when I looked at the tech schedule, I realized that tech rehearsals began on Friday. My Thanksgiving break lasted about 24 hours, and luckily enough, I live less than an hour from campus, so I was fortunate to be able to go home for Thanksgiving.

As the quarter rounds out to a close in the next two weeks, the stress of final assignments slowly creeps up on everyone. Being in the arts school means that often times, there are not really any final exams; instead, most final grades consist of scenes, monologues, or any other type of performance-based evaluation. I have almost all of the above. I am three production papers, one scene and a 10-minute play away from winter break, and let me tell you, it's getting to me.

Life after graduation can be daunting! You may be wondering where the best place is for you to locate yourself as an actor. You might be interested in pursuing something specific (Ex: Shakespeare companies or Improv) or you might be looking to go straight for a busy city like Los Angeles or New York. But sometimes your work may take you to a location that may not be super theatre oriented. Here are some tips for making the most out of any city/state you're in!

My fall quarter at SCAD just ended last week and now I'm off until the beginning of January for my winter break. One of the classes I took as a dramatic writing major was playwriting and I got to thinking about some of my favorite plays that I would love to share with people and hopefully they can experience for themselves one day. You can also add these to your Christmas wish list if you so desire.

For those of you who are currently in school, maybe it's your senior year of high school, maybe it's your first semester in college, or maybe like me, you're a transfer student. No matter where you are in your educational journey, it's now the point in the semester when life seems to snowball. Deadlines start looming, friends may be more irritable, the pages of your planner are full of due dates and reminders, and the list goes on!

This week I wanted to give you some ideas for your next movie night. We all love musicals and understand that hunting for bootleg copies of your favorite Broadway show is bad, so what do we do when we want to watch a show but can't make it to the theater? Movie musicals!!! I'm going to tell you five of my personal favorites to watch when I'm having a movie night, and I think you'll enjoy them if you haven't seen them already!

As any student with a tight budget knows, one of the main goals when seeing a show is to try to get a seat that is cheap yet allows me to still see at least 50% of the stage. I tend to spend my mornings in London waiting in line at the box office in the hopes of getting a cheap ticket with a relatively good view for the price.

Where do you get inspiration from for your art? As a sophomore dramatic writing student, I decided to take three dramatic writing classes this quarter, which could be kind of ambitious, but I've loved the challenge. I've also enjoyed getting to create so many new stories and analyzing television shows, films, and plays throughout the quarter. The struggle to find inspiration for your art, especially as a writer, can be extremely difficult at times.

As an aspiring actress there are certain routines I keep whether I'm actively rehearsing for a show or not. Listening to Musicals, reading scripts, and posting theatre memes.

At the end of last week, the schedule of courses for winter quarter came out, also known as The Week That Lauren Freaks Out For A Solid Five Days Over Which Courses To Enroll In. As a third-year, I am fortunate enough to be nearly done with my required courses for my major, so I now have the flexibility to take more courses that are not necessary for graduation. For both Literary Journalism and Drama, I am required to take upper division electives in each department.

So you've gotten the email. You've been called back for the role you really want! Sheet music and Scene sides are attached. You're halfway there! But your palms start sweating as you realize the inevitable: There are 5 or more people out there who just got the same email as you and are up for the same role. You may be asking yourself: How do I stand out? How will I know what the director wants? How should I dress?

Let's face it- as fun and exciting as college can be, campuses are a bit of a cesspool for germs! With winter rearing its head and temperatures dropping, it's important to think about maintaining your health! If you happen to be a performer, your body is your instrument, and keeping germs and sickness away is something that should always be on your brain.

This past week I got to experience my second film festival at SCAD. Being a dramatic writing major, screenwriting and playwriting, it is hugely important to me to get to not only see these incredible films that I may not get a chance to ever see in a theater or even on DVD but to get to hear from the honored guests about their creative journeys and their advice to upcoming actors, writers, directors, and more.

I am not a morning person. When I told my best friend that I would be taking an 8am acting course this quarter, I remember him laughing in my face. The thought of me getting up early to go to class is pretty comical. I thought I'd despise 8ams way more than I actually do. There's something kind of great about an 8am course that I couldn't quite put my finger on until now: I'm just too tired to care.

Tech week has begun at the University of California, Riverside! If you've worked on a production, you may be familiar with the term 'tech week'. Tech week is when rehearsals are usually extended a couple of extra hours per night and it's extremely grueling, but it's also when you get to see all production elements come together off paper for the first time.

Within our theatre department at Ithaca College, we have five majors: BFA Musical Theatre, BFA Acting, BFA Theatre Production & Design, BS Theatre Arts Management, and BA Theatre Studies, or the 'BATS.' To some people, Theatre Studies is the catch-all major, where those who do 'everything else' go. While it's not entirely untrue that playwrights, stage managers, directors, and dramaturgs end up as BATS, I like to think of it as the major for multi-hyphenates.