10/9/2023

I am so grateful to be in the Masters of Theatre Education program. I thought about applying for a long time, and I am finally here! It is all surreal to me. The “work” we do for class does not seem like work to me, but rather a deepening of my passion.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I have always told everyone that I want to unite my passions of hearing, theatre, and music. I am excited to see where that leads me. I am a trailblazer and pioneer, and I am so honored to be paving this unique path!

As I write this, we are about halfway through the first semester of the program. I am surprised at how intimidating lesson planning was at the beginning of the semester. Now that I have some experience with writing lesson plans, I gain more confidence each time I complete one! I actually find lesson planning fun, like a puzzle that needs to be pieced together. What could be better than planning to teach theatre? I can’t wait to be able to share what I have learned with my theatre organization.

The plays we have read in Playscript Analysis have broadened my perspective. I especially enjoyed Anna in the Tropics and Hamlet. I had read Hamlet years prior, but it was a good idea to refresh my memory and analyze the script. There are so many elements to analyze, that we are just reaching the tip of the iceberg. I think you could analyze one play for a whole semester. I am glad we are learning new analyzation elements within each play.

In Design & Production class, I have learned the importance of coming up with a design concept that stays true for many other design elements in the rest of the show. I am also intrigued by the amount of fabrics there are! I am eager to learn about lighting and sound.

I am so fascinated by Acting & Directing. Many of the methods we have learned about have to do with human psychology, and that in itself is so amazing to me. To find artistry and beauty in our daily living is inspiring to me on a whole new level. So far, I am most fascinated with Stanislavsky and Chekhov’s methods. I look forward to reading more about Chekhov’s directing methods.

I think most importantly, being able to collaborate with other theatre artists from around the country in one of the most rewarding pieces of this program. We all come from different backgrounds and skill levels, but we are all united in our love of theatre and teaching. What a neat way to collaborate!