CMU School of Drama


Tuesday, October 03, 2023

See How These Theatre Fans Display Their Broadway Swag in College Dorms

Playbill: Now that the back-to-school craze has settled and classes have begun, it's a great time to whip out those command hooks and clothespins to start displaying your dorm decor. Whether you brought framed posters or you just have a few Playbills on hand from shows you've seen, we have you covered on inspiration for how to display your theatre treasures.

9 comments:

willavu said...

I wanted to read this article, being a new college student, my room is pretty bare. I decorated it with a few posters– a Lil Peep, Lana del Rey, and, some art of mine. I have been meaning to add some more. I think a room is something that holds a lot of expression, a room can be seen as a reflection of someone's mind. Some of my friends decorated their rooms completely leaving no wall space– does this reflect their emotions in some way? I also think that surrounding yourself with things that inspire you, may cause you to be more expressive and pointed. The article had so many pictures of people's rooms and most of them are past (Broadway) shows, I think it is a nice idea to hang things around that hold happiness or influence– a reminder in your room is an effective way to do this.

Kelsey Harlow said...

I love when people outwardly show their love for what they are passionate about and these people who are decorating their dorms are just doing that. I truly can’t even imagine having that much theatre, or really anything, paraphernalia wise but I am happy some people do. Why not decorate your space with something that you love, and these people are doing just that. My only concern is that some colleges group people together by major so that means that all of these students, if they go to the same school, would live together. I would be worried that this would turn into some sort of contest where people are trying to outdo one another in the decorations they have and in turn spend a crazy amount of money for their temporary living situation. That being said, it is also their money, and they can do with it as they please.

Allie Blaylock said...

I love this little piece on bringing the world of Broadway and theater into your home through interior decoration. While this article focused on dorm rooms, whose occupants are known for their creative decorations, I think this could easily carry over into offices and homes. Like many other theater-goers, I have masses of programs and ticket stubs that for some reason I can’t bring myself to throw away so finding a way to creatively show them off without it looking like a mess of papers on the wall is somewhat difficult. I really liked the bulletin board with programs that are easily switched based on what you have recently seen. My favorite idea was the callboard from Bad Cinderella used as a headboard. I am sure the dumpsters and alleys around Broadway theaters are treasure troves to theater-lovers, bringing more truth to the cliched phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Reigh Wilson said...

I think it is very interesting to see how people decorate their college dorms, as they are usually very specific to themselves. I have lived in a dorm for four years now and have decorated differently every time, but I have learned that the space doesn’t feel like mine until I have put up posters and things like that, and so what I decide to put up is very important. Unlike some of my theater friends I know, I don’t like having any theater merch and memorabilia displayed, unless it is something I have worked on. I think this is because I go to school for theater, and since all day and night I am working on things related to theater I want to come home and be reminded about other things that I enjoy. As I feel like growing up, many people only find an identity within theater and it is hard to have hobbies and interests outside, and so reminding myself that I have separation from it can be very relaxing.

Ella McCullough said...

I thought this article was so cute! When I moved into my dorm this fall I had a lot of fun decorating my room and I knew it was going to be very important. I feel like making sure my room was personalized to who I am has helped me transition into college. I probably would not decorate my room with playbills like some of these pictures, but I did take some set pieces from past shows and put them in my room. I think making your room feel comfortable is so much fun and it looks like these people did that and they are so cute! I like how they probably have shows that are connected to positive memories on their walls. I would assume that would bring people a lot of joy and I love that . I also like how some of them got creative with how they displayed them on the walls or the lighting they used. All of it is very fun.

John Alexander Farrell said...

This Playbill article, showcasing theatre fans displaying their Broadway swag in college dorms, was an amusing and heartwarming scroll. The vibrant enthusiasm of these theatre kids is palpable through the snapshots of their creatively adorned living spaces. It's like a visual love letter to Broadway fandom. The thought of wandering through the hallways of Purnell and pondering who might have or had rooms akin to these adds a playful touch. The dorms become more than just living spaces; they transform into personal galleries of passion and expression. It's a whimsical intersection of fandom and everyday life, where theater memorabilia isn't confined to playbills but spills over into the very fabric of living quarters. The article, in its essence, captures the unapologetic love for the stage and the shared identity that comes with being a theatre aficionado. From posters to playbills, these dorm rooms reflect a commitment to the art form and a desire to surround oneself with the magic of Broadway. It's a delightful reminder of the unique ways people infuse their living spaces with their deepest passions, making college dorms not just a place to stay but a canvas for self-expression.

Joanne Jiang said...

As someone who doesn’t like decorating their own dorm room, I really enjoyed seeing these theatre fans decorate their rooms with posters, playbills, and tickets. I really want to do something similar, as it seems really fun. I currently only have a corkboard with two tickets pinned to it, and I really look forward to adding to that collection. I really like buying merch and programs every time I go to watch shows, and I have a collection in a shelf for playbills and programs, and I frequently wear/use the other merchandise I buy. I am really inspired to decorate my room with theater related things, and I look forward to decorate my dorm room over the next couple of months. We get so much things from our various classes and minis, such as airplane cable, our own XLR cords that we soldered, as well as our drafting, so I’ve been hanging up some things for fun, but I look forward to see what else I take back from classes and shows.

Luna said...

I thought that this was a pretty cute article! I really liked how many different ways the author showed to show off your favorite Broadway memorabilia in a dorm room. I think for a lot of people decoding your dorm room is one of the most exciting things about moving into college. For me, I spend more time and money than I would like to admit on setting up my decor and trying to get it to fit the aesthetic I was going for. The color scheme of my room is sage green, light pink, white and light wood, so most Broadway playbills I have do not match vibes. Honestly, I’m kind of sad that I do not have any musical/ theater stuff displayed in my room because it is a big part of who I am. An idea that I really liked from this article was hanging up your show tickets as decor. I think this would definitely go with the theme of my room since the tickets are mostly just black and white, and would be a nice subtle nod to my love of theatre.

Sonja Meyers said...

I love wall hangings and posters, and I’m honestly fairly disappointed by how bare my walls still are in my dorm. I think I have a solid number of posters, and of course, I have my legally required college student freshman dorm room string lights. Despite all that stuff, I still have quite a few posters and things I haven’t put up yet, and I think I’m going to be doing some fall break redecorating of my dorm. I can’t wait. I’ve been looking forward to it for a while now. I love all the little show mementos featured on the article, the collection of Phantom tickets was a really cute way to display not only the theatre interest but also feature the owner’s friends and family. There’s some solid theatre kid room inspiration there. I’m very jealous that I don’t have a cast call board headboard. That’s so cool.