It can be extremely scary. It can really press you in a certain way.
Broadway is, it's bizarre because it's something that I always
wanted, and it seems like such a huge thing when you're a student and when you're learning these things,
but at Samford you're learning the different tools to equip you to do exactly what I'm doing now.
And looking back, I'm so grateful for every step of the journey.
Samford is a liberal arts university
and one of the really cool things is that
You are part of a bigger learning tradition and within the theatre department the way that that works is that we stress that
students should not only focus on their particular area, whether that be acting or directing or design,
but that they they take classes in other areas.
I tried working in the shop, and I did costume design, and I acted a little bit,
I got to direct, I got to do a lot of different parts of theatre, and I loved all of them.
Experiencing those areas shows them A) what it is that other people have to do when they do those job
but sometimes opens them up to areas of skill that they didn't even know they enjoyed.
So I think I was able to get more of a well-rounded education
At Samford than what I even expected, and because of that it really helped hone in what it was that I wanted.
Lisa Jane Wright, when she entered she came in as a musical theatre student and graduated with that,
but while she was here she also developed this interest in costume design and construction.
It was something that she didn't even know she enjoyed
before she got here.
I love my job so much.
My very first Broadway show was a play called Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
From there I went on to do several Broadway shows. I worked at Aladdin which really became my home.
I eventually worked my way up to being Princess Jasmine's dresser, which was really great.
My goal was always to be a principal dresser. And so that was a dream come true for me.
My role here at Disney Theatrical Group is
I oversee stock an amateur licensing. And when I started this job
I had no idea what I'm doing now even existed. And I think the reason that I'm here is because
when I was at Samford, the greatest thing about it was you did everything.
You weren't just an actor or technician.
You were exposed to all facets of theatre, the theatre-making process
So that you walk out with this toolbox filled with all these different tools.
I started Samford thinking I'm not a dancer,
I am, I'm a singer.
I'm a singer.
They'll teach me how to act, and no one's ever gonna want to watch me dance.
And throughout my four years at Samford
With the help of some really diligent and caring staff, my first job
I booked out of Samford was because of a dancing audition.
It was a dancing role, and then decided to move to New York that next summer.
And because I already had a few great friends from Samford that lived here
I felt confident to come here, and I knew that I would be supported and that I wouldn't be alone.
It is exciting to see so many people have moved out here,
and I am really excited to be able to grow that
and encourage different people to be here in the city.
Even if you just come here and get the experience and then take it back to whatever city that you want to be in,
It's, I think it's an invaluable experience, and we definitely are here for each other.
Each generation of Samford students, as they go to different places, whether it's New York,
whether it's Chicago or Seattle, they're really connected to the generations that come behind them.
They're really willing to help out and to kind of show the possibilities. Everyone still has to do the work.
They have to do the thing that makes them a professional.
But there's this really good sense that they'll get a team of supporters from those groups who've gone before them.
I feel so
rooted in what God has called me for,
and I credit that a lot to my professors at Samford and my friends that Samford gave me
to come here and to find
where I fit and how I can make a difference.