Student Blogger: Erin Maguire

It finally hit me— I called my mom to tell her that I was going to submit to direct Little Women, a musical of which I love and was familiar with because it was also my senior year musical in high school. I had a meeting with the E-Board to pitch my idea to them and I decided to make a proposal presentation including a vision board and a synopsis of the show. In late May, I got an email telling me that my show was chosen. I did it. I put my dreams into motion.

One creative outlet outshined the rest— musical theater— and I began to really dive into theater in middle school and high school. I participated in my school’s choir and musicals and even helped out in the costume department. It was no surprise that I chose to go to college for theater because it was what I was truly passionate about. After my first semester, however, I was not feeling that same passion. I enjoyed my classes but it was all theater all the time and the new element of having my theater work graded added a level of stress that was not there before.

At the start of my freshman year, I didn’t get involved in any clubs or organizations, even though I had always been involved in several extracurricular activities at a time since elementary school and Temple has plenty of music and theater performance clubs. At the time, I was feeling insecure about my theater abilities and I was worried I would not get into any if I auditioned, so I just did not audition at all.

I have a lot going on this semester, which has been both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I’m finally taking classes I’ve been looking forward to, I have not one but two wonderful jobs that I love, and I have been directing Little Women this semester, which has been a huge milestone in my college career. On the other hand, there’s still only 24 hours in the day. I will admit, managing my full schedule has been a challenge because time management is not my strong suit, but I have discovered tools that have helped me improve my time management skills over time.

When I leave in the morning, I double check that I have everything I need before I leave my apartment. Phone, wallet, keys, notebook, script, binder, highlighters, water bottle, pencils, snacks — it can get overwhelming! Here’s my list of Director Rehearsal Bag Essentials that make my life a little bit easier on the days I am out from 10AM- 10PM.

Being back in school is definitely a change in pace from the stress free summer I spent working retail and binge-watching Dance Moms. Between classes, rehearsals, and work, it’s difficult to take a moment to appreciate the chaos that the responsibility of my schoolwork has given me this semester. Now that I’ve completed my foundational theater courses, my schedule is open to take any elective I want to, and I made sure to truly take advantage of my open schedule. As a senior, I am focused on gaining as much skill and insight as I possibly can from my teachers before I graduate!