Meet Sydne Samuels | Arts Administrator, Educator, Production Assistant & Director
We had the good fortune of connecting with Sydne Samuels and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sydne, how do you think about risk?
A year ago I had never been away from home, had never lived alone or traveled by myself or even taken the subway. Immediately after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, a school only minutes away from where I grew up, I took a huge risk and moved to New York City. That risk has allowed me to achieve dreams that I had never even dared to dream. Since moving to New York, I have gotten to work on Broadway alongside people I have admired since I was a child. One such opportunity was interning at The Broadway League and assisting in producing The Jimmy Awards (The National High School Musical Theatre Awards). This was a truly full-circle moment as my senior superlative in high school was “most likely to make it to The Jimmys”. Most recently I interned for the Broadway General Management Office, 101 Productions Ltd, where I assisted on the production of Suffs, Cabaret, An Enemy of the People and many more. My grandmother always encouraged me to do things that were “growth producing”. I later learned that this was her way of telling me to embrace risk and I now know I wouldn’t be where I am today without her advice.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Growing up, I was made to feel as if my voice wasn’t worthy of being heard and that my thoughts, opinions, and ideas didn’t matter. It was through finding my place in the theater that I was able to find my voice.
My deep passion for theater was developed at Chatham University’s Music and Arts Day Camp. I performed there for many years and then eventually went on to serve as their resident Director and Choreographer. During this time, I additionally served as the Assistant to the Camp Director and helped to co-fund a scholarship program between the theater department, summer program and university to ensure that future generations of campers could experience the same opportunities that I did to discover and grow their passions.
I have also been an active participant in the Pittsburgh theater community since I was very young. I performed, taught classes and interned with numerous theater companies throughout the region. One such internship was with Prime Stage Theatre in their Educational Outreach department. I assisted in facilitating a relationship between the theatre and Pittsburgh Public Schools to develop programming for high school students. Additionally, I assisted in producing the company’s first Sensory Friendly production, which ignited a passion within me to learn more and be apart of creating accessible theater.
In 2023, I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Theatre Arts and Psychology. I was recognized with the Helen Katz Award for Exceptional Potential for a Successful Career in the Theatre Industry.
Upon graduating, I moved to New York City with the incredible opportunity to intern at The Broadway League in their Education and Audience Engagement department. I assisted in producing The Jimmy Awards (The National High School Musical Theatre Awards) as well as programming such as Broadway Bridges. Most recently, I interned at the Broadway General Management Office, 101 Productions Ltd. At 101 Productions, I assisted in the production of multiple Broadway shows such as Suffs, Cabaret, An Enemy of the People as well as various National Tours. I have additionally been working for the PATH Fund, a nonprofit organization prioritizing arts education for future generations.
I am a firm believer that theater has the power to change lives, because it changed mine. I am excited to continue my journey as a professional in the theater industry and look forward to creating innovative, thought-provoking and accessible theater!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be who I am today, if not for the love and support of my family. I was raised by a strong, compassionate single-mother. She has overcome many hardships in her life with such grace and it is because of her that I have the courage to follow my dreams. Through the morals, values and lessons she has instilled within me I know that I can overcome any challenge that may come my way and find success. My deep love for the arts comes from my Papa, who has also always been my rock. My sister has been my partner onstage since before she could even talk and continues to be my best friend every day. I would also like to shoutout my boyfriend, who’s own passion and drive to succeed in the industry inspires me daily. Thank you to all of them. 
Instagram: sydne_samuels
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