What’s My Schtick?

Hi, I’m Ari Sussman (they/them/she/her)! Welcome to my little corner of the internet. I’m an actor, singer, saxophonist, and storyteller born and raised in Connecticut. I am graduating with my BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Miami in May of 2026 (GO CANES!!!).

I’ve thought a lot in the past few years about why I want to be an actor and why I want to make theatre, and I always come back to the wise words of Ms. Nina Simone: “an artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Telling people’s stories is as important now as it ever was. Everyone deserves to be humanized, loved, and seen, and I feel that the more stories I tell, create, or am a part of, the more I can bring radical empathy into practice for myself and those watching. I believe the way to ensure that empathy never becomes selective is by telling and familiarizing ourselves with the stories of the people in our communities, the communities around us, and investing in one another in that way. To me, theatre is an act of love.

To tell you a bit about my beginnings, I grew up around music. My dad played sax and I picked it up when I was 9, so jazz was always very present in my house. Some of my most special childhood memories are of us playing together. I’ve found community for much of my life in big bands and combos, trading 4s, 8s, and choruses with my friends. That sense of community is still what makes those creative spaces so joyous to me!

Check out the photo evidence of me catching the theatre bug playing (you guessed it…) a tree (!!!) in my 6th grade production of Into the Woods as Cinderella’s Mother. I was eleven years old, but please try to suspend your disbelief.

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Ari <3