I'd like to preface this blog post with a disclaimer: I've never actually been to New York before. Sure I had seen pictures, heard stories, seen movies, but the magic of the big apple had never truly been imparted upon me until this past Friday. It's amazing. And not something that can be completely explained, but my goal is to do my best.
So where to begin? Well first of all the trip started for me when I arrived in Denver, Colorado. While there, it just happened that Estee, Tyler, and I had the same connecting flight. It was great to connect with them again after not seeing them for 2 months. So after talking in the airport for a while, and taking our flight to LaGuardia, we finally arrived in New York City.
New York was like nothing I had ever experienced. Full of cars, and people, and life. When we got there, Estee Tyler and I had some free time to explore Times Square, which made me fall in love with the city from the very beginning. But this blog post isn't about how I felt about New York, it's about what happened there!
That morning the three of us, Caroline, Shaila, Scott Wilson, Kimberly Staples, and Diane Carr were all reunited as we arrived at the hotel. We started our events by attending a bookstore... A THEATRE BOOKSTORE! The entire shop was filled with everything a theatre nerd would dream of: Scripts, books on acting theories, Scores, everything! When I walked in I thought "you really couldn't find a store just like this anywhere else". Once we left this theatre heaven (which was not easy to part with) we went to lunch to meet up with Ashli, our last ITO. After lunch, the gang was back together again!
Once reunited, we went straight into meetings; first with the American Theatre Wing. There we discussed the future of theatre education, and got to hold a REAL LIFE TONY (definitely one to cross off the bucket list). It was great meeting everyone there, especially seeing people live out their dream of working in theatre. It really showed just how if you want to pursue a life of theatre, it's always within reach.
Our second meeting was equally as awesome, meeting with Playbill (a company I've always been amazed by). There we spoke about about Playbill's education initiative; they're truly doing amazing things there for theatre students across the world (especially with playbillder). It also just went to show how many people can have a career in theatre in so many different ways.
Finally on the first day we saw Come From Away. I would have picked no other show to be my first Broadway experience. IT WAS SO GOOD. I've never seen any other musical that was as well performed as that one, and the message was so important (which is what theatre is all about). And after the tour with Chad Kimball was the most surreal experience. Seeing the backstage of a Broadway show, with a Broadway star? Indescribable.
Our second day was slightly less action-packed. We had a meeting the entire day discussing our workshops and deciding which states we would each go to. While it seems a little less exciting, that Saturday was what truly made me realize how excited I am for this year.
Saturday night we saw 1984, one of my favorite shows of all time. It was the most intense show I had ever seen, and I loved every second of it. I can't (and won't) stop thinking about it. Probably for my entire life - it was that good.
Our week seemed to go by so fast, and before we knew it, it was the final day. Our last day was filled with meeting New Jersey and New York STOs, and selling at the EdTA table at the Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids Flea Market. It was so cool seeing how many people were interested in buying theatre merchandise (including myself). And most of all I loved selling to people - it was so fun!
The final event of the trip was Broadway Back to School, a show I am not soon to forget. The performances were hilarious, entertaining, and breath taking. It was astounding to meet so many Broadway stars, but even more so to know that there were so many people interested in bettering theatre education. And I think that has been the overall message of the trip; no matter where you go and who you talk to, theatre is pervasive in the world. Theatre has impacted so many people around the world in so many ways, and wherever you go you can find people who share your passions. It's the best.
So that was my first New York experience. I would say probably one of the best you can have. I loved every second, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. If you're reading this, first of all thank you for sticking with me, and second feel free to contact me through twitter, Instagram, or however you want! I'd love to hear what you think about these adventures!
We are so excited to serve you!