Chloe Esmeier, a senior musical theatre student, waits in her room questioning whether or not she should go out with her friends. She worries going out could affect the way her body looks and, in turn, her chances of being successful in the future.

NKU School of the Arts (SOTA) students describe the expectations and pressures related to their bodies and appearance as common among the theater community. A new group therapy support group, Improving Body Image, was introduced to all NKU students this semester.

Theater students say they feel pressure to look a certain way in order to be cast for different roles. “If you’re curvy, you’re a mom. If you’re skinny, you’re an ingenue or a love interest,” said Annie Jennings, senior musical theatre student. 

“The way you present yourself is what gets you cast ultimately,” said Esmeier.

Once cast in a show, students are expected to maintain their current appearance. The amount of time between auditions, rehearsals and the show’s opening varies but can span over months. 

Esmeier shared her experience doing professional work outside of NKU last fall, stating that the contract said the hiring company  has the authority to fire her at any point for anything, including not maintaining the weight she was cast at. It can be unreasonable to expect a person’s body to stay exactly the same, explained Esmeier. “People’s bodies change, especially as college students.”

Students shared that being in the spotlight, with hundreds of eyes on them, causes them to be hyper-aware of the way their bodies are being perceived. After losing weight over the summer, Jennings starred as Doralee Rhodes this past fall in “9 to 5: The Musical.”

“I was stuck on stage in a show where everyone was looking at my body because I was Dolly Parton,” said Jennings. She felt like she couldn’t gain weight and either had to maintain her weight or lose more, Jennings said. 

Theater students said they struggle to feel confident in the way they look on stage. Most of the time students don’t have control over what costumes they wear or how their hair and makeup will be, said Esmeier. “I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve actually liked the way a costume has looked on me in the last four years of college. It’s very rare that you feel super confident in what you’re wearing,” said Esmeier. 

The expectations and pressures placed on theater students have effects on students’ work life, social life and academic life. “The pressure to look a certain way has definitely impacted how I live my life,” said Esmeier. Many people don’t give their body the nutrition it needs because they feel the need to look a certain way in order to get cast, explained Esmeier. 

The theater community as a whole can make progress towards reducing the expectations and pressures placed on students’ appearances, said Jennings. “Theater and dance specifically need to get better at getting rid of the idea that your body determines the characters that you can play,” said Jennings. 

What NKU is doing to support students

Improving Body Image, a group therapy support group, was introduced to students in February by the Health, Counseling and Student Wellness Office. The group’s first meeting was near the beginning of the semester and each session lasts eight weeks. 

The creator of the Improving Body Image group and NKU’s Associate Director of Counseling Services Samuel Lenzi likes to start the group therapy by asking students, “If you didn’t feel self-conscious about your body, what would you be doing differently in your life?” Body image can be a lifelong journey of accepting one’s body, said Lenzi. 

A large piece of inspiration for Lenzi is the TED Talk “Body Positivity or Body Obsession? Learning to See More and Be More” by Lindsay Kite. A quote from the talk that he shares in the group therapy is “our bodies are instruments, not ornaments.” 

Lenzi works with students to transform the way they view their bodies. “My body may not look the way I want it to, but it actually does a lot of things I’m really grateful for,” Lenzi explained.

Body image issues can affect college students in many areas of life. “When people are preoccupied with their body image issues, they don’t perform as well academically, they don’t perform as well athletically, compared to those who don’t have those ruminating thoughts,” said Lenzi. 

It is pretty normal to not love the way you look, but it can become a problem if you aren’t able to fully participate in living your life because of it, said Lenzi. 

Lenzi hopes to reach more students in need and make therapy less intimidating. It is a huge success when someone can make time in their life to come to therapy, said Lenzi. “My vision is just to be a program where students feel like it is approachable, engaging and relevant,” said Lenzi.

For students looking to get involved with the next session of the Improving Body Image support group, Lenzi says to check Canvas at the beginning of the upcoming fall semester for the announcement of when the next session will begin. Students can also reach out to the Health, Counseling and Student Wellness Office to set up a meeting discussing the body image group by calling 859-572-5650.