stagedoor manor

On Wednesday June 6^th I embarked on what I think is going to be one of the greatest adventures of my life. I flew from Tampa to DC and then into NYC! New York City has been my favorite city in the world since I visited it for the first time with mama stoney on my 15^th birthday. When I got on the bus outside the airport the driver grinned at me and said “Welcome home!” & I fell even more in love with the city than I had been before.

I excitedly rode the bus into the city, but instead of getting off at the second stop like I was supposed to, I hopped right off at Grand Central station, which was the wrong stop. So then I had to walk down 42^nd street for four blocks. I mean, it wouldn’t be a teale adventure unless I got lost, right? The hilarious part is that I had to pass right through Times Square. Yep. I was that girl, the one with the giant suitcase walking through a crowd. Luckily, I don’t embarrass easily! I was also thankful I was wearing an all black outfit, like usual, paired with a fabulous purple scarf, so maybe I looked a little bit like a New Yorker? But my giant smile and pearl earrings probably gave me away.

I made it to the Port Authority (without getting lost again!) & then hopped on a bus headed to camp! One of the office girls picked me up from the bus station. When we finally pulled up to stagedoor she had barely stopped the car before I jumped out and ran into the screaming arms of two of my Samford friends, Quincy and Jordaan. People probably thought we hadn’t seen each other in years. So much screaming and laughter! I am so blessed that i get to work with them this summer! I'm far away from my Dvornik family but I have another family right here.

I am so happy jordaan and I are living together! We share a large room with two other girls called “the attic”. It is on the very top level of the main building, which really feels more like a giant house. The picture below is a view of the building from the back & my window is the one right on top!This place was a resort in the 1960s so it still feels a little like a lodge. The dining hall, main office and cabaret theatre are on the first floor. The artistic staff (directors, choreographers, & music directors) lives on the second and third floors in the left wing. The right wings of the second and third floors are all girl camper rooms. The boy campers live in a separate building next door, and the technical staff (sets, scenic art, lighting, sound, costumes) live in another separate building that it right above the costume shop.

Every summer for the past 36 years Stagedoor holds 3 three-week long sessions for around 280 campers ages 10-18. I have been hired as one of the costume designers. During each session the camp produces 10 musicals, 3 dramas, a one-act play-wrighting competition & two unique cabaret ensemble performances. Hundreds of stagedoor alums, and sometimes even current campers, go on to have very successful careers in film, tv, & theatre. By the end of this summer we will have put on 39 different shows. needless to say, it's going to be crazy!

& because receiving mail at camp is one of my favorite things, here is my address:


Teale Dvornik
Stagedoor Manor
116 Karmel Rd
Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759

Hello there.

last summer i studied abroad in Spain & attempted to blog about all of my adventures. i really loved knowing i was still making my friends and family laugh at my stories even though i was an ocean away. (if you want to read it here is the link:  http://tealejane.tumblr.com/ ) so i decided that i am going to try blogging again to share all of this summer's adventures! and since this is my first post, which is always the hardest to write, here is a random list about me:

1. i got a job as a costume designer at the best kids theater camp in America this summer & i moved up to new york this past Wednesday. crazy. i won't have much time to write, or sleep, but i'm going to try!

2. i like to type in lower case. & i tend to write exactly like i talk. welcome to random town.

3. my favorite Bible verse is Hebrews 13:6.

"So we may say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

4. it still doesn't feel quite real but on May 19th i graduated from Samford University. i spent three of the most amazing years of my life at that school. when i walked onto that campus in 2009 as a nervous little sophomore i had no idea that my life and career path were about to radically change. i learned so much about myself as an artist and what it means to fearlessly live. every year was completely different and i was blessed in different ways by all the extraordinary people that came into my life. (i am going to have to just devote a separate blog post to college. there is too much to say. or maybe i'll just write a book.)

5. i have learned that in this life there is no pristine yellow brick road for you to follow but i have been blessed with all the right tools necessary to forge my own path.