Hey everybody!

This year I was in a show at the University of South Florida called The Shaughraun. It’s an Irish comedy that was written almost 150 years ago. I had a ton of fun working on the play, and although it was not easy, I learned so much from the experience. What’s pretty interesting is how much money and effort goes into making a production like this. First, the school picks a play they would like to see put on. Then they have to hire a set of people to be in charge of overseeing its production. So they hire a director, designer, and a technical crew. The director and his staff are usually in charge of choosing actors and is in charge of the overall vision of the play. The designer comes up with the overall look of the play from costumes to the set of the play. The tech crew are responsible for actually creating the set from the designs that the designer made. Just to hire these people can cost quite a bit of money for a company, or in this case USF, especially if you are using highly trained professionals.

Also, depending on what the play is, a lot of money needs to be spent on the materials used to make the costumes and the set. In this play, the school spent a ton of money on a giant fiber glass cow that was to be the main piece of the set. Publicity and advertising of a play is extremely important, but can also cost a fortune.

USF spent thousands of dollars on putting this play together, but after knowing that many people laughed and enjoyed it, I’ve realized that it was well worth the money. Because money isn’t everything and having memorable experiences are priceless. That’s what the arts are all about, so go out and see a play at USF or any other theater!

Winning the GTE Federal Credit Union U22 Open Casting Call has really motivated me to become a better actor. I know this is what I’m supposed to do in life. I like to think I’m on my way!!!