ACCESSING VULNERABILITY
I am about to receive my BFA this May. I have developed my voice, speech, and physical body, but the school has embedded in me the importance of myself as an artist in the larger world. By breaking me down and rebuilding my mind and body in ways I didn’t think possible, the Acting Program revealed parts I have kept hidden.
In the midst of all the character objectives, beat changes, speech sounds, vocal freeing, physical awareness, mask work, and other things like stage combat and the business side of acting, the most important thing I can take away from my experience here is faith in the work and myself. As actors, our bodies and voices are our canvases on which we paint, and when we put ourselves before an audience, our souls are laid bare for all to see. The past four years at Purchase have been about surrendering my entire self to give others an experience. To provoke, inspire.
For me, an actor should be passionate in all areas of life not just acting, not just theatre. Interested in everything and seeing that reflected in the work. Being able to infuse life into your process and to access levels of depth at all times. And somehow having the commitment to do this at a drop of a dime. To go to certain places where it may be difficult to go as a human being.

TEACHING BEYOND THE TECHNICAL
Leigh Dillon, who is an alumnus of the acting conservatory, pushed me to a place of discomfort, yet always made me comfortable in that place, comfortable to accept going there. That helped me a lot as an actor. I had her for three years. She teaches Speech and Dialect freshman year, Standard American Speech sophomore year, and Shakespearean Speech/Classic American junior year. Studying speech dialects with her was technical, sure, but also deeply insightful. I don’t know how to put this into academic terms . . . what she taught me is what we learn about ourselves, a personal journey even. Speech can be very technical, but for some reason or another she was always able to get something connected to your emotional self, what you were feeling. It was a true access to something deeper.

GOOD “COMPANY”
I am a month from graduating with my company members. We are joined at the hips, taking all the same classes and rehearsing till all hours of the night. They inspire me and get on my nerves and will always be very special me. I have been told repeatedly that our education does not stop after Purchase. In the air, I can feel a sense of pride from fellow underclassmen and professors as my company members and I prepare for our LA and NYC showcases. I know I will leave Purchase with the knowledge that I am completely capable of succeeding in this atypical profession that has chosen me.

The great thing about the Acting program is its participation in the Consortium Showcases in NYC and LA. We are introduced us to a multitude of casting directors, agents, and managers in the field. It will aid me in my goals to meet people who can help me to get my career to a place where I don’t need to wait tables to supplement my income. The connections certain faculty members have to the professional world also aid us in getting our foot in the door, and I am grateful for those.