Daily Inspiration: Meet Kelsey Bentz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Bentz.

Hi Kelsey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Portland, Oregon on a 10-acre farm and started riding horses from a really young age. I always loved to sing as well, but was very immersed in horseback riding and loved it dearly. I didn’t really discover my passion for song and theatre until middle school when I auditioned for the school play and got in. I realized that I didn’t have to ride the horse to wear the costume, and I discovered the challenge of having to sing, dance and act at the same time – I absolutely fell in LOVE with it. I decided when I was 12 years old that theatre (musical theatre in particular) was something that I would pursue for the rest of my life. I have done theatre pretty full time since then; throughout high school, I was immersed in my school’s theatre program and between high school and college, I auditioned and performed in the local professional shows in my hometown.

My dream was to study at NYU but I never thought it’d be a reality – but I worked really hard on my audition and somehow… got in. I graduated this past May and have lived in NYC since, it’s definitely becoming my new home. I did spend the majority of quarantine during 2020 back at my mom’s farm in Portland, and I began to feel pretty disconnected from my peers. I was in the final months of my degree at NYU and was completing acting classes via Zoom from my childhood bedroom and I just felt unplugged and isolated. This is where the idea for my live stream platform Avenue A came from. I needed to figure out a way to stay connected with my artistic colleagues and peers and continue to learn from them post-grad – so I created a live stream interview show called Avenue A, where I chat with different artists, musicians, and anyone in the artistic industry about Acting, Networking and the Industry. I’ve done 38 episodes so far and have connected with some amazing people such as Alice Ripley, Melissa Errico and Michael McElroy.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
DEFINITELY not smooth sailing! Since I was 12, I have wanted to pursue acting and musical theatre, so my senior year of high school I auditioned for theatre programs for university. I was pretty successful within my high school theatre troupe and was booking lead roles in the school musicals. I knew I was talented, but I also knew I had a lot to learn which is why pursuing an acting degree in university made sense to me. However, after audition and application season came and went, I found I had not been accepted to a single program I applied for. I got into some schools for academics, but every theatre program I auditioned for returned a rejection letter. I felt very shaken and thrown… I had been working toward this since I was 12, I knew it was the next step for me and yet there was this major roadblock all of a sudden.

Several friends who were also graduating soon were receiving their acceptances to their colleges of choice and I felt so ashamed and embarrassed and SAD. I had two choices – either I could register at one of the schools that accepted me for my academics and maybe figure out how to transfer into a theatre program later, or I could take the year off, stay home, and audition again the following spring. Taking a “gap year” was the LAST thing I wanted to do. The concept of not going straight into college from high school made me feel ashamed. But the more I thought about it, the more my desire to attend a great university in a great acting program overpowered my feeling of shame, so I decided to stay home and try again. That year I worked harder than I ever had before. I set goals for myself, I worked on my audition materials and my applications every day. I hired an acting coach and a vocal coach, and had weekly lessons. I got a part time job to support myself and in my free time would audition for local professional theatre productions to gain some credits and experience for my resume. Nine months later I had completed all of my auditions, fully knowing that the same result as last year could happen. However, this time, I got in. Not just to one theatre program, but to 6 – including my dream school, NYU.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an Actor, Singer and Creator – my passion lies in musical theatre, but I got my major in Acting from NYU. I love playing big, bold characters and singing songs that are also big and bold 🙂 Something I’m most proud of is my platform Avenue A that I created in May of 2020. Before the pandemic hit, I hadn’t focused on creating my own work as much as being a part of other people’s work. I loved to take on characters and help bring them to life, but I was scared to make anything of my own. Once I was quarantined and graduated from college with a ton of free time on my hands, I realized I didn’t quite have a choice but to start creating my own work and putting it out into the world. That’s where Avenue A came from. It’s a weekly livestream interview show that streams to Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter. The idea for Avenue A actually came from my mom. I was quarantined with her at the beginning of the pandemic, and I graduated from NYU in her living room, something neither of us expected or hoped for. I was feeling lost and disconnected, and she came up with the idea for an interview-style show where I could connect with artists and create my own work at the same time, even while physically far away from most of my peers. We brainstormed the idea together and I took off running with it. I did all the graphic design, I book the guests, I promote the platform, I do the social media managing, I edit it – I really do everything. I had to challenge myself and reach beyond my past limits in order to pull this show off, and I am so proud of where the platform has gone. It’s grown a lot since last May with 38 episodes under my belt, but I’m so thankful to the 38 guests who agreed to take the time to be on the show with me. It’s been a wonderful way to stay connected with my fellow artists, and also create a resource for other young artists who are just starting out in the industry.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Yes. Omg, yes. The big two for me are Self-Discipline and Self-Love. Being isolated in quarantine I realized that literally, nothing will happen in my day to day unless I make it happen. No one was holding me accountable, I didn’t have anywhere to be, and I was no longer surrounded by other artists who inspired me. I learned what I needed personally for my mental health, which was daily exercise and much healthier eating, and staying disciplined in those two areas, especially when you are depressed or sad, is extremely difficult. But I’ve learned to be my own motivator, and when the motivation doesn’t come, I’ve learned to have that self-discipline to make sure I am still productive, taking care of myself and moving forward in my career (as best I can during a pandemic). The other one, self-love, has been crucial too. I’ve found it harder to be soft with myself during the covid crisis. I’m not sure why, but I beat myself up constantly. So lately, I’ve really been focusing on allowing myself to feel whatever I need to feel, giving myself time to rest, and rewarding myself with treats or activities that make me feel comforted and warm. Balancing self-discipline with self-love can be hard because sometimes my discipline turns into negative self-talk, and that’s not helpful either. I think the key is finding the perfect balance and going with the ebbs and flows of life, and trying your best to love yourself through it.

Contact Info:

• Email: kbentz101@gmail.com
• Website: www.kelseybentz.com
• Instagram: @kelsbentz, @avenuealive
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kelseybentz12 , www.facebook.com/avenuealive
• Twitter: @kelsbentz
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/kelseybentz

Image Credits
Drew Nelson