Participating in Scotch'n'Soda

If you had asked me when I first arrived at Carnegie Mellon University what Carnival was like, I probably would have talked about the elaborate booths lining Midway, the thrill of watching Buggy teams race through Schenley Park and the electric atmosphere of students and alumni coming together for one giant celebration. And while all of that is true, my experience with Carnival has been a little different.  

For the past two years, I’ve spent my Carnival weekend in the world of theater – bringing the Scotch’n’Soda Spring Carnival Musical to life. Scotch’n’Soda is CMU’s student-run theater organization, a passionate community of performers, designers and creators who make incredible productions happen throughout the year. As the rest of campus eagerly awaits Carnival, the members of Scotch’n’Soda enter the final stretch of a three-month journey. Rehearsals intensify, sets come together and we push through tech week with a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. It’s a labor of love, knowing that after weeks of preparation, we’ll finally get to share our work with an audience. And when Carnival finally arrives, the weekend becomes a blur, but in the best way possible. Between the excitement of campus events, alumni returning to visit and students taking a break from their schedules, our performances become a unique and exciting experience as audiences fill the seats each night.

I’ll never forget my first year performing at Carnival. The show was 9 to 5, and I played Judy Bernly. I remember spending weeks building up the vocal strength and confidence to belt out the songs in front of a 250+ person audience. And then, before I knew it, it was opening night. 

The audience was packed – not just with students, but alumni, families, and people from the Pittsburgh community. That’s what makes the Carnival shows so special – the people watching aren’t just regular theatergoers, but CMU community members experiencing theater as a part of a larger celebration. By the time we took our final bows, I felt a mix of exhaustion, pride and overwhelming joy. We did it. Three months of work, countless hours of rehearsal, all leading up to that moment on stage. And as the applause filled the room, I knew this was exactly where I was meant to be.

 Being part of Scotch’n’Soda during Carnival isn’t just about putting on a show though, it’s about the community. It’s about having an incredible team build something together from the ground up, and sharing in the magic of live performance. It’s about creating memories, both on and off stage, that will stay with me long after my time at CMU. So while I may not have the weekend to go on rides and walk around campus, I get to perform. And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.