Today was my last day of theater school. All Drama majors at NYU have studio three days a week. These three days are generally from 9am-6pm. This is where you take all the weird, non-academic classes—- acting, voice and speech, dance, movement, design, directing, playwriting… etc.
It is no secret that NYU is expensive. Real expensive. As my four years are coming to an end (I can’t decide if they went by too fast, or dragged on…. ) I can’t help but wonder is it all worth it?
And honestly, yes. There are some lessons I learned at NYU, at Tisch, at Playwrights Horizons Theater School that I could not have possibly learned anywhere else. Maybe if I was a normal major I’d be able to spout out some crazy psychology theories, math formulas and textbook facts.
But instead, this is what I’ve learned at college:
Bodies are beautiful– naked and clothed. Ah, the naked party. Before I even started NYU I heard about “naked parties”. In design class we are assigned to do nude sketches. These sketches could be of statues, but a few years ago the students decide why not sketch each other, naked. And thus naked party was born. What sounds like a sick twisted fantasy by some perverted, horny freshman is actually the most beautiful celebration. It is a writ of passage freshman year, and honestly one of the most powerful things I have done in my life. For the first time in my life I didn’t care about what my body looked like. We were all vulnerable, nervous and beautiful. For an uptight gal from Westchester, it was an incredibly freeing experience.
Collaboration 101. Sophomore year I was required to take a class “collaboration”. In this class I learned that 5 heads are better than one, when to fight for a good idea, and when to shut up and be a team player. This class has been one of the most useful and fruitful experiences for me at school, although at the time it was beyond frustration. I mean really, life is one big collaboration, no? there will always be leaders and team players. It was here that I learned about mixing and matching to make the best possibly final outcome.
I Can Survive on Very Little Sleep. ahhhhh second year. the year when no one sleeps. It was craziness– class til 6, rehearsals til midnight, and then that silly thing called homework before we did it all again. It was a year of involuntary sleep deprivation. I don’t recommend it to anyone, but I survived it. And i know I can survive similar situations in the future– like having kids. If I can survive second year, I sure as hell can survive anything.
How Beautiful it is to sweat at 8:30AM. African Dance, 8:30AM, freshman year. greatest. class. ever. I guess this was my beginning to realizing how lovely it is to sweat in the morning. this class jump started our day like no other.
How To Let Go. I’m not sure what class this happened in. or when it happened. or if it has fully even happened yet. but I know I am different. My jaw is less clenched, my views are less narrow, my eyes have been opened, and I feel a million times more free. I know in part this is because of the wackadoodle training I have received at this school
how to get what you want. if I have learned anything in my 4 years it is how to take your life into your own hands and GET WHAT YOU WANT. fight for the education you want to receive, complain when it is appropriate, gives thanks where it is deserved and most of all, I learned how to stand up for myself and what I wanted my education to be. My sophomore year I literally stood up in front of my parents, faculty and peers and gave one big “F- you” to the school when they truly deserved it. granted I came back the following year. But for a quiet girl who had never stood up for herself, it opened up a door to a part of me that had never been heard. Since then I have continued to stand up for myself and fight for what I want.
So thank you theater school for the blood, sweat, tears and weird education you have provided me.
—
and reminder, tomorrow begins my 22 day yoga challenge! and tomorrow i take my class final of college. AHHHHHHH
Leave a Reply