Sing Out, Seth! ‘Dorky’ War Horse Star Seth Numrich on His Singular School Experience

As kids all over America head back to school, Broadway.com decided to ask our favorite Broadway stars to look back at their own years in the classroom, sharing memories of favorite subjects and activities and describing their younger selves. War Horse star Seth Numrich looks back fondly on his uncommon homeschool experience and cringes at the thought of some clown class memories.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Well, I was homeschooled my whole life until attending college, so my parents were my teachers, and it's not fair to make me choose between them.

What advice would you give to your school-age self?
If I could go back to my first year of acting school I'd probably say: "Relax. Stop taking yourself so seriously."

In school you would have been named most likely to…
Grow up and play pretend for a living.

What song sums up your school experience and why?
Cat Stevens "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out." He's one of my mom's favorite singers, and has become one of mine... I remember this song from my childhood, and the sentiment behind it is pretty much how I was raised and educated.

What’s your favorite back to school item?
When I was six, someone in my family gave me a yellow pencil holder that had my name printed on it. I still have it and when I'm doing table work in rehearsal, I use it to carry my highlighters and other writing utensils. I love it.

What class did you dread and why?
Well when you're home-schooled you kind of get to study whatever you want (or at least that's how we did it), so I never dreaded classes. Math was always hard for me but my dad would come up with ways of making it fun. I remember playing "Number Munchers" on our old mac... That counts as math class, right?

What is your most embarrassing school moment?
Another advantage to home-schooling is that there's no one else around, so embarrassment isn't really an issue. Although, acting school is basically just one long extended embarrassing moment, so I guess I made up for it. I particularly remember some moments in "Clown" class that I'd rather not relive...

In which extracurricular activities did you participate?
During my childhood, I played just about every sport imaginable, which became less feasible at Juilliard... Although I remember our annual dodge-ball game as a highlight. The Juilliard "Fighting Penguins" are a force to be reckoned with.

Describe your school-age self in three words.
Dorky, passionate and stubborn.

Keep checking back for more School Days memories from your favorite stars.