On the rainy New York City morning of March 17, Dori Miller, a 22-year-old UF acting senior, arrived at Ripley-Grier Studios on 8th Avenue to prepare for his first acting showcase. Documenting his day on the UF Acting Instagram for an ‘account takeover,’ the actor was ready to give his audience a show.
Miller had to be at the studio by 8:30 a.m., and spent his time between then and the scheduled group warm-up by preparing folders of headshots, relevant forms and resumes. At 10 a.m., the accompanist arrived to rehearse with each student, and the group got the next three hours to individually prepare.
The UF Senior Showcase is an annual event in which acting and musical theater majors graduating that year perform in front of potential casting agents and industry professionals. The event is designed to pair students with representation and launch their post-grad careers. This year, the in-person showcase was held March 17, with two shows at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Miller said it was a great opportunity to connect with their fellow students — an already rare commodity that would only become scarcer post-grad. The UF actors and musical theater students rarely mix, as their course loads lead them down different academic paths. For this reason, Miller was especially grateful for the showcase.
“I got another chance to perform with my friends before I graduate, which is, at the end of the day, the best thing ever,” he said.
The show, which Miller said ran for about 35 minutes, featured songs and scenes each student chose months prior, with their preparations beginning in December. The students turned in their songs and scenes for program approval and spent the next several months practicing, perfecting and finally performing. Among the songs performed were “Love is An Open Door” and “Evermore” from the movies “Frozen” and “Beauty and the Beast,” respectively.
Although the showcase resulted in a smaller industry professional turnout than expected, the performers continued their show nonetheless. Miller remained confident to enter the theater industry despite unresolved hopes of gaining an agent. The actor said it was undeniably disappointing to have no prospects following the showcase, but that he has no one to blame.
Miller praised the UF acting program, and while he admitted UF acting graduates may be at a disadvantage due to the large distance from industry hubs, the school has done an incredible job paving the way to success. Miller intends to begin his career in New York and said he knows he can make it in the acting industry without having secured an agent right away. Because of the concentration of opportunity in the city, Miller said living in New York City is an ideal end-goal, but if it doesn’t work out, he won’t force it.
“I’m not a huge believer of ‘The city needs to work for me, and I need to make it,’” he said.
Mimi Paul, a 23-year-old UF acting senior who has previously acted in Gainesville performances of “The Lion King” and “Shrek the Musical,” said performing makes her feel connected to her childhood whimsy. The actor said she “has to be on Broadway” for at least one show to honor her childhood self — a young girl who adored the acting industry.
Despite having lifelong dreams of acting, Paul said she still finds performing in front of an audience nerve-wracking, and that her heart was racing moments before walking on stage for the showcase. Despite a high heart rate warning from her Apple Watch, she began to do what she knows best: sing. Paul said she likes to think she would’ve been less nervous had she known about the low agent turnout, but knowing herself, any crowd would be enough to worry her.
Paul said she was disappointed at the anticlimactic result of the showcase, having received little correspondence from agents, but rationalized that attention wasn’t the same as affection.
“If there were a lot of people there, that doesn't mean they’d want us,” she said. “It means there was a bigger chance of someone wanting us, but it doesn't guarantee it.”
After seeing the showcase’s low turnout, Paul worries for her job prospects and wishes she could get her voice out there more, she said. Despite this, she has no doubt the UF acting and musical theater majors will find acting success just fine.
“Because I fully believe in our talent, I don't think it's going to be super hard,” she said.
Because Paul isn’t sure where her dreams will be best realized, she’s considering going to Atlanta instead of the popular choice: New York. Paul is joined in her desire for some Deep South acting by her classmate Joshua Turner, a 26-year-old UF acting major.
The acting-duo both appreciate the culture there, feeling the energy of many actors all looking to create. When he’s not at school, Turner resides in Georgia’s capital and is likely to return there after his graduation. He loves the community there, he said, and he appreciates the opportunity to bring art to places that haven’t seen it.
“I love creating theater and creating access to those who you know are not always able to see it,” he said.
Contact Rachel Mish at rmisch@alligator.org. Follow her on X @mish_rache62827.
Rachel Mish is a junior English and business major and the Fall 2024 Food Reporter for The Avenue. In her free time, she enjoys playing pick-up basketball or sewing a gameday outfit.
