Today, we are kicking off a new blog series and I am PUMPED about it! The Team Teale posts will properly introduce you all to the team of badass babes who love and support me with my blog endeavors every day.

First up is my little baby angel Intern Caitlin! Caitlin and I first met last fall when she was hired as an intern for Gagged Chokers, and since then, she's become a dear friend and part of my tribe. She is thoughtful, adorable, encouraging and has the cutest little laugh. She fits in to my crazy theater world perfectly because she's a BFA major at NYU, so I thought doing an interview with her would be especially informative for all you high schoolers out there. So please enjoy the first Team Teale installment! And Caitlin- thanks for putting up with me! Love you!!

When did you know you wanted to be a BFA major?

Honestly, I’ve wanted to be a performer my whole life. My dad put musical instruments in my crib when I was a baby and I used to stand on the table in restaurants and sing “If It Makes You Happy” by Sheryl Crow into the saltshaker when I was 2. So, it was always in my blood, but I never really discovered theatre specifically until around middle school. But once I found it, I fell in love and knew what I wanted to do ever since.

What did you do in high school to train and prepare for college theatre?

Well, when all my friends would be hanging out on the weekends or going to school events or whatever it was, I was usually in the dance studio or at a voice lesson or at school for drama rehearsal. My car was usually one of the last left in the school parking lot because I was always in the drama room rehearsing and working. I took it all very seriously, but I also found working hard on something that I loved to be a lot of fun. I was very involved in my high school’s drama club and that’s really what helped me grow as an actor.

Other than NYU what are some other schools you auditioned for?

University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Belmont University in Nashville, and Florida State University (GO NOLES!)

Do you have any advice for kids in high school who are applying for college?

I would say to start doing research on which schools you want to audition for, start prepping your audition materials really early on, and remember that you will truly end up where you are meant to be. And that may not be at your dream school. You may realize that you have a new dream school and even if you don’t get into the places you had your heart set on, you’ll be happiest at the place that wants you to come be part of their program. I had to learn that the hard way!

What is the most challenging part of college?

I think it can be very hard to balance working hard and self-care in college. As a theatre major, I have classes 5 days a week, unlike most college majors, and often my classes start at 9am and go until 6pm and then we break for dinner, then have rehearsal from 7pm until 11pm, go home and do our homework and study, and then start the whole thing over again. So, it’s a very grueling schedule, and being a musical theatre actor is exhausting mentally, physically, and emotionally. So, I think it’s really important to remember that you can only be a good actor if you’re taking care of yourself. Sometimes you have to put the homework away or put the script down and get some sleep. And you absolutely MUST find a few minutes every day to do something not theatre-related that makes you happy. It’s key to mental sanity.

What are your favorite roles you’ve played?

My senior year of high school I got to play Belle in Beauty and the Beast and that was a real dream come true moment for me because I LOVE Disney princesses and Belle is my favorite. It was also the first show I ever saw on Broadway when I was 8 years old, so it was just a really cool full circle moment. I have a lot of favorite past roles, though, like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Princess Fiona in Shrek, Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Thea Elvsted in Hedda Gabler. The last two were at NYU and they were dramatic straight plays, which I really enjoy doing in addition to musical theatre.

What dream roles do you have?

Oh man, I have a lot and they change daily! I definitely want to create new roles and get to originate roles. I think that’s a really special process and would be an amazing experience. I would also really love to voice a new Disney Princess one day (I told you guys, the love runs DEEP!) or maybe play one on stage again! I also would love to tackle Diana in Next to Normal one day, basically all of the Rodgers and Hammerstein cannon, Cathy in The Last 5 Years, and then maybe some Broadway classics like Christine Daae or Glinda!

What has been your coolest Broadway experience so far?

Wow, this is another one where I’m lucky to say there have been so many! The past year of my life has been so incredible since meeting the GGG and getting to kind of step into your world a little bit. I would definitely say getting to hang out in Princess Jasmine’s dressing room is always fun, and middle school Caitlin would have passed out if she knew she’d get to touch Glinda’s bubble dress one day, so I definitely enjoy all of our backstage shenanigans as well as all of the amazing Broadway people I’ve been able to meet!

What piece of advice would you give to your 15-year-old self?

Just relax and stop taking it all so seriously. It is important to focus on the future and the career you want, but don’t forget to live for the present moment, too. Don’t compare yourself to others and don’t be so hard on yourself. You are enough, your talent is enough, and the work you put in will get you where you are meant to be. Just continue to be kind and work hard and the rest will come with time.

What is your favorite part about being a member of Team Teale?

I just love what this blog means to so many people. I think it gives young theatre lovers a glimpse inside this world and your life and I just think that’s so special to kids out there who live for this the way I did at their age. I tell you all the time that if this had been around when I was in high school, I would have eaten it right up! And I think you are a really amazing human being and I feel really lucky that you let me come along for the ride.

What is your favorite Teale memory so far?

Oh gosh, there are so many! You truly are the most ridiculous human being I have ever known (and I mean that in the best way!) Basically just any time you look at me and go, “Watch this!” I know I’m going to be in for an adventure! You are constantly talking your way into crazy experiences or talking your way out of trouble. Oh, I’ve got one! I always go along to your photo shoots to help you and on the most recent shoot, I show up to Wicked, and you said, “Look what I brought!!” and held up a giant inflatable alligator. Before I knew it, I was sitting in the Wicked female ensemble dressing room blowing up this ridiculous alligator while you pranced around getting ready and it was one of the silliest moments of my life. There’s truly never a dull moment with you!

Questions from Twitter:

What are some of your favorite things about college in NYC? - @happilygabby

The experiences I get to have by going to school in NYC are unparalleled. If I have free time, I can go see a Broadway show on a Tuesday night or go see a ballet at Lincoln Center. Plus I get the opportunity to meet all kinds of amazing people who are on Broadway or working in the industry. Plus, I think it’s really special to get to go to school in the city where I will also be living and working after school. I have classes in the same building where most Broadway auditions and rehearsals happen, so I already feel that I’m comfortable in rooms like that and once I’m auditioning all the time it won’t seem so foreign and scary. And it’s nice to know I won’t have to worry about moving or looking for an apartment when I graduate. I’m already prepared for the next step.

What is your favorite and least favorite thing about college? - @wickedlover6

Favorite: Getting to grow and learn and train my craft with classmates who are as dedicated to this career path as I am.

Least Favorite: Having to balance homework, essays, exams, memorizing lines, being in class, AND in rehearsals for shows is a lot to handle sometimes!

Was it difficult choosing where you wanted to apply and where you wanted to go to school? - @thebroadestway

It was, but honestly NYU was always on my radar. It was my dream school pretty early on, I just never dreamed I would be able to go there! But I did a lot of research on different theatre programs and I had a very long list that I eventually narrowed down and I considered a lot of different factors.

What’s the best thing about living in New York City? - @adotsky

It’s the greatest city in the world! I love being surrounded by so many different cultures and walks of life. And you can’t beat the art, food, and entertainment!

What is NYU Tisch and what makes it so special? - @tealejane

So, NYU is New York University, and Tisch School of the Arts is the arts college at NYU. It’s one of the top theatre/musical theatre programs in the country, as well as a top academic university. Most of my teachers have been on Broadway or are Tony Winners or are leading the field in their individualized arts, so we really have top-notch faculty. It is extremely selective and to be accepted, you have to audition for the theatre program as well as meet the academic requirements to get into NYU as a whole. One thing that I think makes it so special as a theatre program is the fact that we balance liberal arts studies with a conservatory training program. So, many theatre programs are strictly “conservatory” which means they only study theatre all day every day and it is usually extremely intensive. We squeeze a full conservatory training into 3 days a week where we’re in class all day. The other two days a week, we’re taking academic classes so that we’re making sure we’re well-rounded students. I really love that about our program because I don’t ever want to stop learning and growing and I think to be a good actor, it’s important to be a well-educated, smart human being as well. Everything you learn in life eventually informs your art.

What separates NYU from other college/academy/conservatory options? What are the weaknesses of NYU that are mitigated by other options? - @MichaelScottHC

Well, I think everything in the last question kind of answers, for me, what separates NYU from other options. I just think there is something special to be said about ANY degree from NYU in the professional world in addition to training from Tisch. So, I feel that the academic rigor is something to be proud of and strive towards as well as the world-class theatre training. As far as weaknesses, I guess some might consider the fact that we’re located in NYC to be a distraction. Sometimes people end up dropping out because they got sidetracked and auditioned for professional work, booked it, and never got their degree. That may not be a downside to some people, though! There are others who might not enjoy the academic side because they didn’t enjoy academics in high school or they really just want to eat, sleep, and breathe theatre, which I get, but I really think it’s important to get a break from it every once in awhile and learn about other aspects of study.

FUN FACTS:

Originally from: Panama City, FL

Favorite NYC restaurant: Benito One in Little Italy

Favorite Broadway show ever: Oh shoot, I have a lot of these, too! Newsies, Bandstand, Billy Elliot, Next to Normal, The Color Purple, Oklahoma! Aaaah I have more, this is a hard question, I can’t, I quit!

Team Teale Q&A: Caitlin McNeilage