By Megan Loughran I recently saw a stand-up comedian KILL it. She was wearing something simple like jeans and a t-shirt, and there was a towel hanging out of her left back pocket. Not like a cute little washcloth. A full on towel, flopping around behind her like the tail of a terrycloth dinosaur. That dinosaur would win bath time, and would probably be a fun friend. Anyway, I didn't get it. I thought, maybe this woman also works at a car wash and she's occasionally forgetful so she wears the same thing everyday? Respect. But then I noticed how... Continue reading

By Megan Loughran Last week I had jury duty for the first time. I ended up being released fair and square, but had things gotten real, I'm pretty sure any one of these 12 choice statements would have prevented me from being one of the chosen 12: 1. "I distrust the judge because I think I saw a small pelican poke its head out from under his robe." 2. "Sitting in a box with 11 other people brings back traumatic memories of the months I spent in hiding as a crayon." 3. "My job is so stressful that I have... Continue reading

By Megan Loughran "They Can't All Be Gems." It's a figure of speech I often hear, meant to make us feel ok about doing mediocre work. It's said so frequently that its impact has been compromised, so you could call it a platypus. I mean, sure. Not everything can be brilliant. If everything were brilliant than nothing would seem better than anything else and we would be just BORED. No? I like to understand things by thinking about them according to their words: "They" means the stuff you make. The things you're trying to have come out nice. "Can't" is... Continue reading

A Story for Children. By Megan Loughran Pinky the Elephant loved to sing and dance. She loved it so much, she wanted nothing more in the whole wide world than to sing and dance in front of an audience. One day, Pinky decided she was going to go on an audition. She was nervous, but she knew that if she loved something so much, nothing would get in her way. Pinky arrived at Ripley Grier studios and had a problem because the sign said "Please Use Revolving Doors," and remember, Pinky is an elephant. She used the side doors via... Continue reading

By Megan Loughran Illustrated by Carter Thompson I asked five of my favorite ladies on Broadway to share with you their favorite audition DON'TS: Kate Baldwin, Kristin Chenoweth, Victoria Clark, Rebecca Luker, and Susan Stroman. (FYI when you type those names in a row your computer blacks out for a sec.) Then I asked the fabulous Carter Thompson to cartoonize the advice, as cartoons have always been my preferred educational resource. Luckily, everyone I just mentioned is a phenomenal human who nailed it. Let's peek into the thought bubbles hovering over theses ladies' heads come audition time: Susan Stroman advises,... Continue reading

Intentionally. By Megan Loughran At the beginning of the summer I talked some friends into doing something off-the-charts crazy with me, and that thing happened on Saturday: we spent the entire day inside the Met Museum. 10AM - 9PM. Eleven hours. Below is the initial invite I sent, which I've annotated with after-the-fact reflections in this pretty green. Suffice it to say, this was one of the best days of my NYC life and I highly recommend you try it with your crew. If you'd like pointers, you're more than welcome to ask me five days from now when I'm... Continue reading

By Megan Loughran Last week someone crawled onstage at HAND TO GOD and plugged his phone into the set. The whole world was like "WHAT?" and the story went viral. However, many people don't realize this is just one example in a long strain of confused audience members thinking Broadway sets are real worlds that can provide them with something. It's more common than you think. For instance, this season alone: An audience member at GIGI brought his own cup. At ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, this guy wanted a ride to Newark. Someone thought THE KING AND I was a... Continue reading

By Megan Loughran NEW YORK, NY - Clutching a 31-ounce dish of nine frozen yogurt flavors, Manhattan resident Flora Dunstin mumbled, "I am weak." An official announcement made yesterday by the FDA mandated the shut-down of all self-serve FroYo establishments, calling them "unethical." "We conducted a study," said a spokesperson for the FDA. "The average FroYo cup holds nineteen servings, and that number is growing. One of the new franchises has named their size options 'Boat,' 'House Boat,' and 'Garbage Barge.'" The owners of "Flavors Aweigh!" could not be reached for comment. "People lose touch with reality when they grasp... Continue reading

What I Brought Back From Britain Other Than A Collective Crush On Its Inhabitants. By Megan Loughran This spring I had the honor of traveling to London to work with Lonny Price and the English National Opera on SWEENEY TODD, starring Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel. I had been a cast member in the 2014 Lincoln Center production which was making its British Transfer®, so I was basically sent to help the American team remember things. This was one of the cooler events of my life. While I was there, I noticed several differences about how the Brits run a... Continue reading

A Game. By Megan Loughran Let's play a game called DATE OR AUDITION? I'll list 10 scenarios that happened to me in real life, and you guess if they happened while I was on a DATE or an AUDITION. I give you full permission to laugh at me for the indistinguishable nature of my romantic and professional folly. 1. I was asked to change my name. DATE. He said "Meg" made him think of the ugly girl from Family Guy. 2. I was asked to take my clothes off before I even introduced myself. AUDITION. It was a dance call... Continue reading

How to Not be a Terrible Person When Leaving a Terrible Play. By Megan Loughran I judge shows based on whether my brain counted the yogurts in my fridge at any point. ...Did one expire? What flavors are left in there? Peach. Why do I bother with peach? I get peach for variety and then I dread the peach so what is WRONG WITH ME? That's me during a show I hate. But that's only in my head. I try (try) to avoid verbally criticizing shows while inside the theater. In fact, to be a truly classy and polite person,... Continue reading

By Megan Loughran (Actor / Singer / Writer) When an artist moves to New York City, task #1 is typically securing a part-time job to support his or her artistic pursuits. For many, it's daunting to find a position that provides both flexibility and stability. To help, I've compiled an entirely inclusive and complete list of day jobs for artists: Nanny Bartender Nanny-bartender Spice Alphabetizer Person Who Chooses What Colors Hot Air Balloons Are Hospital Mascot Lullaby Volume Monitor Pigeons of New York Manager Slater Cater Waiter (cater waiter dressed as A. C. Slater) Voicemail Deleter Central Park Plastic Cutlery... Continue reading