I love hearing how everyone is doing! Keep the updates coming!
As I’ve said before, D loves UArts, and we continue to be impressed by the training, the faculty, the personal attention, the individualization…
Freshmen are allowed to be in one show spring semester, and D was cast! It’s even more exciting that she gets to work with one of the original writers/original director, who is directing, and the songwriter, who is music directing. One of the first weekends of rehearsal (rehearsing weekends only–the directors are coming from NYC), the director and music director decided to write another song for the production, and they had the cast help! I think they are going to use the harmony D created. D has a lot of stage experience, but this was totally new for her and so cool! Her vocal teacher and her coach are working with her a lot on doing her part healthily; D plays the 12 year old protagonist who has a Brooklyn accent and whose speaking voice is loud, and she belts all the songs–in that accent and that age. It’s a fun stretch for D, but I’m thankful that her coaches are working so closely with her on it. She has also been in a couple student films, and she has modeled for a couple photography students.
Last quarter, D was chosen for a leadership group which meets weekly, and she just got a little work study job in a box office (just a couple hours a week), so she is busy, busy, busy, and she’s more tired than last semester, naturally. But, she is still enjoying her studies, rehearsals, other activities (including just hanging out with friends), and being in the city. The latter has been great for her; UArts’ location and relationship to theatres means she’s been able to see great performers and productions for really cheap or even free. She also went to NYC with friends once and saw a popular off-Broadway play for free because a classmate knows the director, and we’ll be going as a family for a couple days when we pick her up for Spring Break.
Right before heading back to UArts after Winter Break, D attended OTAs; she’s still waiting to hear about casting from one of the callbacks. That one was a theatre pretty close to us, so that would be nice, but we’ll see. She may also audition at her “home theatre,” which is always a good experience. She was hoping to attend other summer stock unifieds, but her schedule didn’t permit that. There also is a possibility that she’ll stay at UArts for a month and work at their pre-professional camp. At this point, the summer is up in the air, as I bet it is with many theatre kids.
She is really missing our cats! I keep getting snapchats and texts about getting an “emotional support”…cat, duck, praying mantis…anything! Lol! (Obviously joking about the more absurd “pets,” but not about a cat!)
Thankfully, I still hear from her often–almost every day. I was worried we’d lose the closeness that we have, but we haven’t at all! Would I like to see her and actually be able to touch her more? Sure! Of course. But, she is right where she needs to be, and I’m excited for her and grateful. And yet still counting the days until Spring Break… 
