Taking Center Stage: Alumna Stars in NYC Play Festival

There are bright lights in the big city, and Jillian Bradley '23 is certainly taking every opportunity she can to shine. Bradley recently starred in the play Pity Party, which premiered at the Chain Theatre's Winter One-Act Festival in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

After graduating from Allegheny with her bachelor's degree in theatre with minors in education and dance and movement studies, Bradley moved to New York City, where she studied the Meisner acting technique at the Esper Studio. The Meisner acting technique was also the focus of Bradley's Senior Comprehensive Project.

She says that her unusual combinations deepened her love for her craft and have provided opportunities to explore aspects of acting that she didn't think were possible.

"Allegheny's openness to exploring multiple disciplines in my education has helped me exceed what I thought being an actor could mean for me and has expanded my desires of sharing the craft through teaching and writing my own original works," reflects Bradley.

When she's not acting or auditioning in the Big Apple, she serves as the assistant director for the Possibility Project. The nonprofit organization teaches children to act, dance, and sing in their own original works.

A driving force in Bradley's career is the opportunity to connect and create with new people. Bradley notes, "The education I received at Allegheny helped me to know that there is not always one cookie-cutter path to what you want to pursue and that your passions can come up in ways you never expected."

She advises current students who aspire to go into acting to keep an open mind and give grace to themselves as they navigate what it means to be a true storyteller.

The Arts at Allegheny