November 30th, 2025

     At this point in time, a lot of people say college went by in a blink of an eye. They said the same thing about high school. They say the same thing about life. It all goes by in a blink of an eye. As a freshman, that idea was echoing in my mind, so for the next four years I kept my eyes wide open. Anything I did in class, in the costume shop, and for any show, I would (and continue to) put as much into it all as I could. 

I came in with little skills, little direction, little knowledge on what I was getting myself into. All I knew was that I could do my best to learn and cultivate a passion. The little I knew about costumes has bloomed and brought me to design a fully realized production this semester. I was however surprised to find other interests. I am grateful for Loyola’s curriculum that allowed me to try so many things. The second stages were most crucial to me. Let’s explore a few things I did and what I learned.

     One of the first major projects I undertook was as stage manager for #Enough. I thoroughly enjoyed it and love stage managing. I could be one for a career but there are more things I chose to dedicate myself to artistically that it fell to the wayside. Additionally I was a lights and sound designer for this show. I liked sound well enough but lights quickly wormed their way into my heart. 

     After studying abroad, I felt like I had to catch up. I had missed theatre so much, I ended up on three projects simultaneously! The two second stages, Rude Mechs and Azazel’s Gift, fed my mediocre affection for sound and my adoration of lights. Sitting in the underground programming began to feel sacred and has been some of the most fun part of the projects I have had here. The third project was co-assistant costume designer for Legally Blonde: The Musical. I learned so much from both Designer Rachel Healy and Kate Wexler, the other assistant costume designer. This project set me up to succeed this semester when I had to surprise design another musical on my own.

     I admit I may have taken on more than I should have last semester but nevertheless I am proud and happy for having done so (although the me last semester may have been cussing myself out for putting myself in that position). Now as a senior, I am taking less classes and doing less projects, but the projects I am doing have been the most rewarding. Neighborhood of the Loners will forever be one of my favorite projects I have ever worked on and I am nervous to say it may have inspired me to attempt pursuing directing although I am completely unsure how to go about that. I love literary analysis so much and directing allows me to not only get into the minutia of a story– how I love stories– but to share my analysis so that others can see what I see.

     It is very similar to why I go back to my first love every time, costumes. Such a visual language and culture as costumes allows similar freedom of analysis and vision although limited within the pieces the characters wear. I cannot comment much on my first foray as a designer for Megan Parent’s Pleasures of Heartbreak and Bloodshed as it is too fresh on the mind and my opinion is thus skewed so I will wait for the weeks of nostalgia to overtake it.

     Eyes wide open, these years have passed by. And here I am preparing for my next steps. I am so immensely proud of what I have done here and I can tell you that I have loved so much of it. Each project, while dripping with success as well as failures and a whirlwind of emotions, has filled me with so much love. For the people I’ve worked with, for those who got to watch it all, for the process, for the result, for the beauty, for the vulgarity, for all things that we do. I am in love with it all and I can no longer imagine a life in which I do not create.