“Be yourself. Learn from those around you. Focus on you, and don't compare yourself to others. Don't be afraid to take on a challenge. Do what you do because you love it.”

“My favorite show would have to be Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. I’ve always loved theatre that was more experimental, or pushed the boundaries of what they could do, or what was not usually accepted onstage, and Great Comet did this masterfully.”

“Lately, I’ve been learning to appreciate and improve my own unique talents instead of trying to change them. It’s a challenge, and I’m still working on it, but it has changed the way I view the arts and it’s refueled my passion for theatre.”

“My all-time favorite musical would have to be West Side Story. I have been watching the movie with my grandma since I was around 10, but I’ve been listening to the music with her for as long as I can remember. It also sparked my love for musical theater.”

“With the smaller class size comes more one-on-one time with professors and more training. I feel so grateful to have such amazing professors and to be given so many performance opportunities along the way.”

“I just try to represent a good vibe. Even through tough times, I try to help the people closest to me more than I try to help myself.”

“Be You. Be Genuine. Fear Nothing. No one in this world decides who or what you are besides you.”

The way we are making art changes so quickly, and our institutions this year are changing so quickly that there is a deep sensitivity to making sure we are doing it right, and that we’re creating art in a responsible way that we never did before.

When the world came to a standstill with the Covid-19 pandemic, Erinn Dearth and Dan Beckmann, the founders of the Spring Theatre in North Carolina, said that nothing was going to stop them from putting on a show. “We were not ever going to not do something,” said Dearth. “We knew we had to provide opportunities when the pandemic hit.”

“Two things to never do: 1. Never be afraid to ask for help with auditions! Your theater friends are here to guide you! 2. Never, ever, ever give up on pursuing what makes you happy.”

“No matter what, you cannot lose hope. Theatre will be back. And in the meantime, use this time to do something that you've always wanted to do or create something that you've always wanted to create.”

I did a lot of outdoor activities. I was literally turning into Candide without the optimism angle. I was tending my garden, I was growing tomatoes and clearing parts of the property, sort of a physical manifestation outside the home that I was hoping to achieve for myself on the inside.

“The industry isn’t going to wait for you. Go out and show it who you are and how you plan to change the world.”

“I’ve never been great at giving advice, so I’ll just say this: try not to be discouraged. The theatre is coming back. It will always come back. It may take some time, but people will always want to be entertained and experience the thrill of being in a live audience. The energy in a theatre is like nothing else and could never truly end.”

“I encourage young artists to use what I call my 3 R's as they start to enter their artistic journey: RELAX, RELATE, RELEASE.”

“Hustle is the name of this game. Don’t sit around waiting for things to come to you. Make your own space in the place.”

“Don’t. Ever. Give. Up. EVER. Not on your dreams, not on your goals, and not on yourself.”

“Keep a close eye on your Why as you progress through this business, the reason why you wanted to enter this business.”

“Take care of yourself and live your truth because when this is all said and done, the world needs storytelling healers like us to help make sense of it all.”

“Just because it has been done a particular way up to now does not mean that's the way it HAS to be now or moving forward. Continue to learn and practice and hone your skills and don't limit yourself to one ‘thing’.”