Stagey Post: My Life into Theatre - & Why You Should Never Stop Pursuring Your Dreams

So I know this page has revolved around London, The Beatles, and my life abroad,

but I forgot to mention something that came before all of this,
which I guess ties into life in London pretty well too.

I fell in love when I started high school after seeing a Broadway national tour of Rent.
It was the first show I had seen,
as well as the first and only show I had ever been late to.
They wouldn't seat us until after the first scene,
and I watched Roger and Mark jump around and scream about their bills from the jail-bar windows in the lobby.

Once I left the theatre that night, I knew my life had changed.
I had found something that I felt so connected and so passionate about.
I knew it wasn't something that was going to fade away.

When I got into university, I had to start looking into degrees, careers, and future - ugh.
Being that annoyingly ambitious dreamer I so clearly am,
I thought "hey - I love theatre! WHY NOT make a career out of that?
I'm tone deaf and have never acted in my life, but I'm suuuuuuuuure there's a place for me."

Yep. My thoughts always make sense like that.
Just like when I decided to drop everything and make an attempt to move to London.
Logical.

Anyways.
When that idea popped into my head, that was it - I was sold. Theatre was where I was going.
Even if I wasn't exactly sure how to get there.

I started researching internships, regional theatres; anything and everything.
I sent my resume out to just about every name and email I found - basically explaining that
I had never had any involvement within the theatre industry besides as an audience member,
but that they should still give me a chance to work with them.

After a few interviews, I walked into Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati,
and met the incredible Producing Artistic Director, Lynn Meyers.

She asked me about life, how I got to where I was, and where I wanted to go.

Then we got a little in depth about the magic that is theatre, and then she offered me an internship.

Just a simple conversation, and she welcomed me with open arms.

For that, I could never thank her enough.

I did a four month internship with them, realized that it truly was everything I wanted in life,

and then had to leave to go study abroad.

Great timing, huh?

When I got back into the states, I re-emailed Lynn for any recommendations around the city,

and she asked me back for a volunteer House Manager position for their encore production of Next to Normal.

Which was incredible - see for yourself:

  

Yup - with Michael Schwitter and Mia Gentile, both on Broadway now in Pippin and Kinky Boots,

and Nick Cearley, who is apart of The Skivvies - that amazingly cool duo who you'll find singing in their underwear all the time.

We completed that run, and Lynn had asked me back as the permanent House Manager for the next season - my first real and paying theatre job!
I was floored with excitement over this - a literal dream coming true.

I worked here during my last year of university,
and when graduation crept up,
I had to put life into a perspective of being where I loved (London), or doing what I loved (theatre).
Because the long story realities of this is that there isn't a high chance I would be able to do both.

So I took the route of doing what I loved, and took a bigger House Manager job up in the Berkshires, Massachusetts.
This was a four month Summer stock experience - and let me tell you, it was an experience.

After I left this position, my head was turned and I decided to walk away and focus on being where I loved.
Which brings you to now - me in London.


BUT - if there's anything I can tell you about theatre,
it's that you cannot just so simply 'walk away.'
And if there's anything I can tell you about me,
it's that I'm really bad at taking 'no' for an answer.

People don't work in theatre to get through life or pay the bills.
They work in it because they love it.
Doing what you love is an addicting feeling, and once you've done it, it's hard to cope with doing anything else.

I guess the moral of this story is to always go for what you want - no matter how crazy or far-fetched it may seem.
From making a career out of an industry I loved, to being able to move myself across the world,
I feel like I'm pretty good proof that if you truly set your mind to it, you can make it happen.

So here I am - attempting to work what I love into my life while being where I love.
Which leads me to the initial reason why I wrote this entire post, before I realized I would trail off a little bit there

So to end - there will be a bit more theatre on the site soon.
And by soon, I mean in the next few days - I just saw Miss Saigon tonight and I'm speechless.

Hope that's okay.

And if it's not, just give it some time - I'll convince you otherwise.

 

      What shows have you seen lately? What are your favorites? And what do you recommend I see next?