Graduation Spotlight Series: All Roads Lead to New York for Music Theatre student Sloane Ptashek ’25

With a B.F.A. in music theatre and an agent, Ptashek is ready to shine in her next stage

By Christine Byrd

After she graduates this June, Sloane Ptashek will return to her hometown, which also happens to be home to Broadway. Ptashek’s B.F.A. in music theatre with a minor in art history have equipped her with the experiences, skills, connections — including an agent — to launch a professional career in New York City.

“I’ve learned so much about performance, technique and how to be a well-rounded person from my UC Irvine experience,” said Ptashek. “The community I’ve found here, the teachers I’ve gotten to know and learn from, and the authentic person I’ve become here have been the biggest blessings of my life so far.”

Ptashek chose the Claire Trevor School of the Arts because it offered a small, tight-knit community within a large research institution — the best of both worlds. Today, she considers her classmates like family, and many of whom pursued second majors or minors and joined campuswide organizations like Uniting Voices, the a cappella group where Ptashek served as vice president.

With fellow music theatre students in the Department of Drama, Ptashek co-founded Metro Theatre Company, which produces entirely undergraduate-run shows with mentorship from faculty and graduate students.

Image: (center, left to right) Ashlyn Filippone, Sloane Ptashek and Ruby Lapeyre in 9 to 5: The Musical. Photo by Jeanine Hill.

“We’re a community of self-starters at UC Irvine — to pursue a career in theater you have to be, and you have to believe in yourself,” Ptashek says. “Together, we’ve created more opportunities for ourselves.”

Recently, Ptashek played a lead role in the school’s mainstage production of 9 to 5: The Musical — a dream come true made even sweeter because it was directed by her faculty mentor Myrona DeLaney.

“Myrona has been such an incredible mentor, and one of the biggest champions of my work since I got here,” Ptashek said. “I feel wholeheartedly that she and the music theatre drama faculty are in my corner and on my team forever.”

Ptashek has twice returned to the Big Apple with her classmates. First, with the New York Satellite Program, a four-week long intensive with full-day trainings with industry veterans and alumni, and attending Broadway shows at night. This spring, she participated in the department’s New York Showcase. A highlight of the trip was seeing Redwood and meeting Broadway star Idina Menzel in a talkback with faculty and her cohort.

“It was amazing to hear from her that a performing career is not linear,” Ptashek said. “The challenges she has faced are also the challenges we face.”

Ptashek’s final performance at UC Irvine will be with the B.F.A. Through the Years Cabaret on June 11, and although it’s bittersweet, she is ready for the next step: “I’ve learned here that showing up, fostering relationships, and being passionate opens doors to the most amazing experiences.”

Image: Sloane Ptashek in front of the UCI Arts bridge. Photo by Diana Kalaji.

To learn more about the Department of Drama, visit drama.arts.uci.edu.