It is no secret that there is a significant disparity in the film world between women directors and men. In the Academy Awards' long history, only 9 women have been nominated for Best Director. This year, Chloe Zhao was nominated for her film Hamnet, but she is among the very few to be considered. While the Oscars panel has claimed to be more inclusive, its track record of female nominees and winners has been found lacking. Despite this, numerous female directors are curr

You are probably no stranger to the fact that William Shakespeare set the stage for the performing arts in Western culture during the Elizabethan period in England. During this time, the term “drag” came into play, which stands for “dressed as a girl.” Women were not even allowed onstage, as the art form was exclusively male. While we have come a long way from that in modern society, systemic issues persist in the arts, and it is crucial that women’s voices are heard and cele

Do you often feel anxious throughout the day? Be it work, school, or relationships, anxiety is a very common symptom for young people and adults alike. It was found by The National Institute of Mental Health that, in the past year, 19% of people have suffered from depression in the U.S., and about 31% of adults suffer from an anxiety disorder, be it obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety, or any other kind of anxiety disorder at so

Last Halloween, my short horror comedy, ‘Til Death , premiered at the Short on Drama play festival by The Fleetwood Project in Mansfield, TX. ( Read it here! ) I have produced my own plays in the past and had others featured in festivals. It is so exciting to see my own work brought to life onstage. One minute you are putting words on the page, and the next you’re watching it live in front of an audience that is seeing it for the first time. It is such a unique and exhilarat

Last April, I got to check off something at the top of my bucket list-going to Japan for the first time. I started in Tokyo, where I tried the local cuisine, went to Mount Fuji, went to a zoo where I hand-fed bears and lions (through a cage on a bus), had a blast at Tokyo Disney, and went go-kart riding through the city. While visiting Japan as an American, I learned that there are quite a few cultural differences there. Here are six of the big takeaways I discovered on my