What a joy, what a life, what a chance!

Wow what an incredible summer! I never could have imagined what this past summer would have had in store, but I'm so grateful for everything I learned. I worked with The Prizery, a professional theatre in South Boston, Virginia. I stayed with host parents (shoutout to Marcia and Boo) who made me feel so at home and spent all day every day rehearsing for our two productions, Mary Poppins and Mamma Mia. I made friends with some of the most wonderful and hilarious humans I've ever met, and discovered so much about myself by branching out from the world of academia and creating art! Playing Sophie was a dream come true, and I made one crucial discovery: much like how you can't give an authentic performance unless you live an authentic life, the audience won't be able to have fun unless YOU are having fun! With this mindset, I felt I was really able to go onstage each night and just play. It was one of the most inspiring theatrical opportunities I've had yet, and I'm so grateful to the whole production team for making it such a wonderful experience from our welcome barbecue to our closing night. Here are some photos taken by Ken Swanson.