Born and raised in Santa Clarita, Bre Tomey has always had a passion for acting and performance. From the age of 8, her own experiences led her on the course to pursue her dreams, ultimately moving to New York to study theatre where she attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (New Studio on Broadway and Experimental Theatre Wing).

Since graduating with a BFA in Drama in 2018, Tomey has been working as a professional actor in Manhattan, yet finds herself back in her hometown while the theatre world is literally on hold. Without a community of artists, she finds herself drawn to create one that includes creators she grew up with and future performers seeking an outlet – combining her own experiences with other SCV alumni to help local young artists pursue their dreams.

With Broadway (and practically all of NYC) shutdown until 2021, actors everywhere are on hiatus. Tomey herself packed up her New York apartment just this past June to start a year-long Shakespeare tour, however is now waiting for the “okay” from the Actor’s Equity Association for actors to safely begin working again. For performers, this is a disorienting and daunting time – not only financially but mentally.

For this reason, Tomey has decided to spend some time in Santa Clarita to help make a difference in the lives of young artists who also dream of studying the arts. While working with high school juniors, seniors and college transfer students with BFA audition and application prep, she hopes to help make the process less daunting than her own experience was. She reminisces on her own audition process.

“I remember starting and thinking, really?,” Tomey thought. “No one else is going through this? Of course there were others. I just didn’t have the network to help me connect with them during the process and I really wish I had”.

Looking back on her own experiences and the immense challenges in applying and auditioning for college, she said, “I remember how loaded of a process my undergraduate auditions were, and the people that did help me throughout. I was so fortunate to have people in the Santa Clarita Theatre community rooting for me and assisting me in preparing for those auditions. That rigor and passion is what got me into NYU. I want to help others in that same way – breaking down the process and giving them the tools to succeed.”

Students have so many unknowns in the months to come. Because of the state of the world, teachers are focused on the day-to-day safety and mental health of their students – college prep may be on the backburner. Tomey hopes that her work with students will be an outlet to pursue the arts and higher education through this difficult time.

Along with college preparation, these students will have an opportunity to work collaboratively with Tomey and seven other local working artists – some graduating from notable college theatre programs, others pursuing their own artistic path and working professionally in Los Angeles. Together, they will work in the months to come to create a virtual production that reflects the essence of the extraordinary time we’re in – a time when actors must reflect on what it means to create when no one is watching you. This process will offer both the artists and the students an opportunity to create for no one but themselves, maybe for the first time in their entire lives.

“What does it mean to perform when there is no one to perform for”, Tomey asks, “What happens when you’re forced to remove the idea of an audience, but still have the desire to create”.

For more information, including free opportunities for Black Artists and Students of Color, Application/Audition Information, free Q&A Sessions, and College Alumni Forums – go to
Tomey’s website: www.BreTomey.com.