School is back in session at the University of New Haven. One week of classes is officially in the books as we look forward to the rest of the semester that lies ahead of us. In the theatre department, we are particularly excited to begin the process for our Fall Production of Thorton Wilder's Our Town which is the first show of this season. We have an exciting season lined up so far and more announcements to come!

The musical Annie and I have a long, and special history. At the age of seven, it was the first musical that I was in. It was produced by my summer camp, where roles were distributed by seniority; all the older kids got bigger roles. I was one of the youngest, so I was given the part of an ensemble orphan. I won't pretend like I wasn't upset - I wanted to be Annie. But I stuck it out for five weeks, and picked up my little broom from the back of the stage during Hard Knock Life and perfected my sweeping. That was my only part during the entire abridged version.

Wow! I can't believe that this is my first blog! It's also hard to believe that opera rehearsals start Friday!!

People want art - that's inevitable. Art is entertainment, and entertainment is consumable, and therefore art is good. People want to watch movies, indie films, television. They want to come to the theatre to show off their cultured lives, and they want to brag about it. People want music to listen to in the car, while they're working, running, sleeping. They want to go to art museums; they want pottery and paintings in their houses. Students want tapestries hanging up in their first apartment, and they want to read books and magazines and comics.

Every artist has a way of working, whether it's using 'counts' in choreography, or being an auditory learner, the list goes on and on. We all have ways that we learn and function as a creative individual, and I have discovered, as you probably have, that we don't all work the same way.

On Wednesday August 31st, 2016, Rory O'Malley hosted Hamilton's last live lottery drawing show. The popular tradition had only been around for just over a year, but in that year it won the hearts of many Hamilfans just looking for their shot at the hottest ticket in town. Although it is truly sad to see Ham4Ham go, I choose to celebrate its short but illustrious life.

I was sitting in a black plastic chair in a room with maybe seven other people, one that I knew, and six that I did not. I have sat in this exact chair before, and it was the exact chair that I sat in during my freshman required acting class. At that time, it was a chair I was unfamiliar with, in the front row, and shortly after that first day it reminded me of the things I did not know and did not desire to know. But this time was different.

Whether it be a physical warm up, group bonding, or prayer, everyone has something they do to center themselves and get 'in the zone' before a performance. Whether it is an intentional ritual that you are superstitious over, or just something that makes you feel good, everyone has at least one thing.

Striving to be a Musical Theatre performer often means striving to be a triple threat. (For definition of triple threat see: Sutton Foster) As I have been training to be a performer since I was young, there is one particular...threat...that I would feel threatened by

This summer I am volunteering at the New York International Fringe Festival. The Fringe is a good platform for experimental theater and social commentary. This week I saw my first Fringe show ever, Financial Slavery: The College Debt Sentence. It tells the story of three college students with varying amounts of debt. The show incorporates real statistics and the stories of real people, as well as spoken word, video projections, and audience interaction.

As I was getting ready to graduate college and figure out my first move as an adult, I was warned by many of my theatre friends about getting too attached to my new destination. I am constantly being told that actors live a gypsy life; you have to follow the work, wherever it may be.

I think that as actors, who are so eager to work, we tend to tend to disassociate a 'performance' with 'an audition' because there's no microphones, lights, or contract. But by singing your 32 bars you are PERFORMING. Fill that minute with everything you've got: that is your time to shine.

This summer, I've been getting a lot of texts from friends visiting New York asking, 'Monica! How do I get cheap tickets to insert show name ?' Actually, I get these texts pretty much all year round. My parents have even been sending me the contact information of their friends who want to know where to get discounted theatre tickets. In lieu of sending everyone lists that I have to text, I will now be sending everyone who asks a link to this blog post, where I have compiled a comprehensive list of my favorite resources and methods for getting theatre tickets on a budget in NYC as well as Orange County/Los Angeles and even Chicago.

Alas, the summer of 2016 draws to a close and I pack my bags for back to school in just a few short days. This summer has been one for the books. I learned a lot about myself, theatre, and life. If it wasn't for this production, I probably wouldn't have grasped those lessons as quickly, which is why I appreciate my friends and supporters that just tell it like it is. They know what I need to hear to get the point across. They know how to help me grow and aren't afraid to knock me down a few pegs if I get too high and mighty.

I'm sure everyone knows the challenges that come with designing any given show - there's the actual design, the communication of the design, the (most-likely) compromise of the design, public relations, paperwork, implementation of the design, dry tech, cue to cue, 10 out of 12, dress rehearsals, previews and then opening night. Can you imagine not being at the theatre to work on your show, not being able to talk to other designers in person, not being there to see or hear how your design was affecting the show? I can.

Well, not really. It's the last summer--before I graduate college.

'Please turn off your phone!' 'Technology is a waste of time!' 'BE PRESENT!'

With the start of a new semester right around the corner, I began thinking about the new technicians and design students who are starting their freshman year at Auburn. I was very bright-eyed when I was a freshman, only having done community theatre up until that point, without any other exposure to theatre. I was pretty lost, if I have to be honest. I have compiled a list of tips that I wish I'd had on my first day.

One day, I was in rehearsal, and one of my friends asked me, 'Why sound?' And that's when I really started to think about why sound?

I skipped my senior prom to see The Color Purple on Broadway, and I have zero regrets about it.

It's that time in the process yet again. Welcome to Tech week. Some call it tech week, hell week, production week, or show week. It all means the same thing though. It is the week leading up to the first performance. It is graced with long nights, malfunctions, and unfortunately a good deal of stress. I, however, hope to alleviate some of that stress with a few tips and tricks to get through the week. Being that we are in tech week, ourselves, at The Comedy of Errors, this article could not be more relevant. Here we go!

Last year, New Yorker Marla Louissaint competed in the National High School Musical Awards, also known as the 'Jimmy' Awards, and received the title of Best Actress. She is now a rising sophomore at Fordham University pursuing a career in computer science, but continues to demonstrate her theatrical talents. So who is this young starlet and how does she survive the busy life of having more than one career?

THROUGHOUT OUR COLLEGE CAREER AS THEATRE MAJORS WE ARE ASKED TO READ AND DISCUSS PLAYWRIGHTS THAT HAVE CHANGED AND CONTRIBUTED TO THEATRE. We read about THE GREATS Shakespeare, Ibsen, Shaw, Moliere, Brecht, Beckett and many other playwrights that have pushed traditional theatre creating and producing something different. Reading about 'The Greats' is a given in theatre education, Valuing the work of the playwrights and ultimately educating students of different time periods and exploring themes of the era.

As we now are roughly two weeks from opening, I thought I would be a little punny. Two weeks from opening, I decided to do a 'double feature'. That's right, I am interviewing both sets of twins! In this 'twinterview', we will hear from both Dromios and Antipholuses Antipholi?

5,6,7,8 Everyone start stretching and get out your headshots, A Chorus Line is a part of the summer season at the Hemmens and it couldn't be more exciting! While the audience begins to find their seats and chatter still fills the room, the show begins with the cast arriving to the audition. Some are stretching, chatting with friends, and of course taking selfies. In other musicals I would think, what is happening? But with A Chorus Line this production is all about the audition process and the little things matter. The design team had an easy time with this one compared to last summer's Rent production. The stage is set like it would appear any time of day with lights in the wings, chairs scattered off to the side, and four individual mirrors that three appear to be transparent (and make for some interesting dance numbers).