Every June when I was younger, the same commercial for a summer learning program would appear on my TV. It featured a little boy who, over the course of his summer vacation, forgot almost everything he’d learned the previous year.

It's hard enough being a fat girl. It's hard enough being hidden, not desired, not preferred, not hired, mocked, stereotyped- but when you think you're being loved and you're actually being programmed and devalued? That's a whole other level of cruelty that I may never completely unpack.

This is where my #metoo story begins.

As a white woman in theatre, I understand that I am automatically given some privileges when it comes to opportunity, and the way I am treated in lecture halls/school performances etc. For some, however, this is a struggle that engulfs their entire educational career when wanting pursue a life in the theatre.

During the 2017-18 theatre season, Broadway attendance was higher than the cumulative attendance for ALL of New York’s main sports teams (Mets, Yankees, Rangers, Islanders, Knicks, Liberty, Giants, Jets, Devils and Nets).

This goes to show that musical theatre is still as popular as ever, with over a third (62%) of Broadway audiences attending at least two shows every season.

The MeToo movement is one that has garnered attention and driven significant change in the past year. Great articles and exposés have led to change in leadership at some companies, stricter “no tolerance policies” and open forums to discuss issues related to harassment. However, in many amateur theatre companies, whether it’s a community theatre or an educational setting, the MeToo movement remains relatively motionless: a rallying cry heard and ignored. 

Many people get tattoos as an expression of something important to them, to cover up parts of their bodies they love less, or to have art on them. But as a performer there is always an anxiety when considering ink. “Will this tattoo make me less likely to be cast?” is a question I’ve pondered many times while considering tattoo placements.

With Broadway audiences becoming more diverse, theaters have made adjustments to their facilities to make them more inclusive and accommodating, especially when it comes to restrooms. However, there have been recently reported issues where front of house staff have been discriminating various people based on their gender identity or appearance with which restrooms audience members were going to use.

Being able to keep a classic theater alive and intact in this manner shows the significance of theatre in this quickly evolving society that often put more value on new tech than on the classic arts.

The Empire Theater on 42nd Street, the most notable of these moves in recent history, now functions as an AMC movie theater a mere 170ft from where it once stood as a Broadway performance theater.

I’ve even made a job out of doing social media marketing, and actually, I love it. From a business point of view, it’s a great way of promoting yourself, but as an individual and for your mental health, I’m not sure I agree. Is social media good for performers? 

A local theatre in Kansas City, MO has found itself at the center of some controversy over its firing of an actress apparently due to “Pro-Trump” comments she had made on social media.

Give Shakespeare a chance the next time you’re looking for a wild tale to keep you engaged or a romance to charm you. Insert yourself into the story and take something away from it. Shakespeare’s work is still so applauded because it’s still so relevant, you just have to dig for the treasure.

Aries - Velma Kelly - Aries are described as self-centered, confident and impulsive. Which is basically Velma Kelly in a nutshell.