“Birthday Candles” by Noah Haidle was the first production I was cast in during my college career. Starting in our sophomore year, BFA Acting students are reintroduced to performance in a stripped-down sort of way. We solely focus on the acting.

Directed by Co-Head of the BFA Acting program, Rob Adler, “Birthday Candles” shaped a new way of thinking about taking on text. Surrounded by eight of my closest friends and through the guidance of Viola Spolin’s technique, we devised the space around us, embodying the characters to the fullest extent and learning about how to envelop yourself as an actor into a space that is entirely your own. Thank you to our director, Rob Adler, and the amazing team behind this endeavor.

Alice, Maddie, and Ernie will always be with me. I saw the women in my life echoed in them, I learned life lessons from them, and I gained joy and relief from them.