Help LG Pursue Theatre In Italy

***UPDATE: I have been so blessed received a $2000 scholarship from the Accademia! Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! I appreciate your support!***

Hello!!!

My name is Laura Grace Wylie, more commonly referred to as LG, and I am raising money to fund a study abroad trip to Italy this summer! I have been accepted to the Accademia Dell'Arte in Tuscany, Italy for their Summer Physical Theatre Intensive where I will receive specialized training in areas like Voice, Comedy, Commedia Dell'Arte, Clown, and so much more! I will be graduating from the College of Charleston this May with a B.A. in Theatre (Performance) and am ready to hit the ground running post-grad with continued training while I begin my journey into the real-world theatre industry.

Many of you who know me know that my college career has not been an easy one. In October of 2021, right in the middle of mid-terms, I was rushed to the ER after falling ill, where I learned that I had ruptured my appendix. What I had hoped would be an amazing semester at a new school in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina came to an abrupt end, and I spent the rest of the semester in and out of the hospital fighting for my life, hoping I would at least live to see my 20th birthday. The complications from this medical emergency left me bed-ridden and dropped me onto a long and grueling road to recovery. While recovering and adjusting to a body that didn't function the way it always had, I was given the gift of time. With my life essentially paused, I was faced with the question we all have to answer at some point in our lives: if I died right now, would I find peace in the life I've lived? Facing this question when I was finally at the real beginning of my life was scary. I felt lost. I felt alone. However, it gave me the privilege of reevaluating my purpose in life. I realized that I was spending so much time trying to live a practical life that would make others happy, but in the end, I was missing that fulfillment for myself. I was saying goodbye to something that I knew, deep down, would always be my calling. That something was theatre.

I was so graciously given a second chance at life and I knew that I would be a fool to waste it. In 2023, halfway through my recovery, I changed my major from Psychology to Theatre and that was the best decision I have ever made. I immediately threw myself headfirst into project after project, dedicated myself to honing my craft, and learned what all the pain of those last two years had been for.

One of the earliest acts of humanity is storytelling. For all of history, we have been telling stories to each other and about each other. We tell grand stories of triumph and hardship, scary stories around a campfire in the woods, heartwarming stories about love, and even simple stories at the dinner table, detailing the events of our day. It is such a privilege to be a part of one the oldest traditions on this earth, and it is a love from which I will never part. I have been an actor for 10 years and I will be an actor until the day I die.

Long story short, I am striving to continue honing my craft so that I may take full advantage of this second chance at life and what better place to do that than in one of the most important places in theatre history: Italy!

I humbly ask that if you are able, could you spare some change to help me continue chasing this dream? Dreams are hard to come by, and I have heard it said that if you are lucky enough to have a dream, follow it and never lose sight of it.

There are stories that still need telling. I can't wait to tell them.

*Disclaimer: if something unprecedented happens and plans change, everything will be refunded back to those who donated!*

*Also! if you don’t feel comfortable with gofundme, my venmo is @lauragrace0119 *