One of the best ways to find and develop your own talent is to experience it. Living in New York City, talent surrounds us, envelops us, everywhere we go. It poses for pictures with fans just as it passes us unnoticed on the street; it exists at the top of the tallest skyscrapers and under our feet in basements and subway stations. It may be easy to miss, but it’s not hard to find when you look for it. Here are some accessible and affordable ways to surround yourself with talent in the city:
Student Rush/Lottery Broadway Tickets
Whether or not your niche is musical theatre, Broadway is a must-see experience for everyone – but not everyone can afford $200 tickets. Thankfully, many shows offer day-of rush tickets which, if you’re a student willing to wake up early and wait in line at the box office, can get you in for under $50. This rush schedule is a helpful tool to gauge the time and days you should get in line to secure those rush tickets. Similarly, there are online lotteries that you can enter to win tickets under $60 (including Hamilton, which offers $10 tickets – a steal!)
Script Readings
If you’re an aspiring actor, screenwriter, or playwright, script readings are a great way to experience a panel of actors and a new screenplay for free! Script Club NYC is a group that gathers for table reads at Roots Cafe every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., and writers have the chance to submit their new piece to be read in front of an audience at an upcoming Wednesday meeting! Similarly, The Drawing Board meets every 4th Monday and are taking applications for more actors, observers, and submissions.
Discounted and Free Museum Tickets
Up-and-coming artists can only benefit from experiencing art up close and personal at some of the world’s most encompassing and renowned art museums – for cheap! The Metropolitan Museum of Art is pay-what-you-wish for all NYC residents, which includes out-of-state students of a NYC school. The Museum of Modern Art offers $17 student tickets every day of the week, but all New York State residents are eligible to reserve free tickets for Friday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The newly-reopened Frick Collection also offers $17 tickets to students, and pay-what-you-wish admission is offered every Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m. NYC Tourism has a great guide to help you find more deals like these!
Free Summer Music and Dance Classes
Whether you’re a musician yourself, a dancer, an avid listener, or find your talent in niches like stage production and event management, the city’s parks are a great place to experience free music and dancing this summer! Parks across the boroughs are hosting huge artists like Grace Jones and Janelle Monáe, popular indie artists like mxmtoon, Still Woozy, and Men I Trust, and talented jazz bands like The Jimmy Heath Big Band and The Captain Black Big Band. You can also find DJ sets and dance workshops to live music. Secret NYC has an all-encompassing list of the lineup this summer!
As we’ve learned thus far in Niche-ing New York City, practicing your talent goes hand-in-hand with surrounding yourself with talents – those of your friends, your mentors, and complete strangers – and learning from those around you. Finding your niche can be difficult for a multitude of reasons: maybe you feel like you’re good at everything or you’re good at nothing, or maybe you simply haven’t heard of your talent yet, haven’t experienced it, examined it, felt a rush of adrenaline and goosebumps down your arms. In future articles, we’ll look at affordable ways to dive head-first into your talent and get your hands dirty, but for now, seeing the beauty and talent in the city around you is a great way to start!
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By Lauren Male
Lauren Male is a senior at Pace University majoring in English and Communications, with a minor in Journalism. She is pursuing Pace’s M.S. Publishing program. When she’s not reading, Lauren can be found trying new coffee shops, thrift shopping, and spending all of her money on concert tickets.
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