Hello, I'm Emily!
Emily (she/her) is Stage Management major and Performing Arts Management minor at Columbia College Chicago. Previous credits include academic; (SM) How The Light Gets In, (PSM) Sunday in the Park with George, (SM) Or,. (SM) Betrayal, (ASM) Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf. Other credits include Production Stage Manager for The Patio Plays for Nomad Theatre Company of Bloomington, Illinois.
About
At a young age, Emily Kelly (she/her) developed a love for theatre by attending local productions in the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois area. She enjoyed high school productions and community theatre productions and wanted to become involved. After exploring various aspects of theatre production, she discovered her passion for Stage Management during her junior year of high school when she was given the opportunity to stage manage for the first time. The rest was history.
Upon completing high school, Emily relocated to Chicago, Illinois to become fully immersed in the vibrant and diverse theatre community of The Windy City and what it had to offer. She is currently pursuing a B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Stage Management and a minor in Performing Arts Management at Columbia College Chicago.
To date, Emily has experience in local community theatre through her work with Nomad Theatre Company in Normal, Illinois. She has also gained academic experience while studying at Columbia, including Stage Management credits for a full-length mainstage play and a musical, as well as for student-directed and faculty-directed projects. Emily's future plans include Stage Managing a repertory new plays workshop with student playwrights and directors and serving as Production Manager for a series of student-directed projects in the spring of 2024 before graduating.
Emily also enjoys photography, crocheting, and being surrounded by creative friends and their furry companions. When visiting home, her dog Sandy is always eager to cuddle and catch-up with her.
My Artist's Statement
I strongly believe that collaboration is key. It's important to have open conversations and share ideas, past experiences, and build a partnership when working together to create a project that we are all passionate about. Collaboration is the most fulfilling part of our craft, and it's something that we should all strive to improve upon with every production. To achieve this, we must challenge ourselves to step out of our comfort zones and think creatively.
As a stage manager, I take pride in facilitating effective communication and organization among theatre makers. I thrive in collaborative environments that allow me to apply my skills to support projects with multiple moving parts. My experiences working on past shows have taught me that I excel both in mentoring my peers and being mentored by my peers. By sharing our knowledge and experiences, we can support each other, overcome obstacles, and resolve conflicts that arise during the production process.
Whenever someone needs help, I'm always eager to lend a hand. We should all work together to ensure that the project runs smoothly and that everyone involved is proud of their work. As theatre makers, performers, designers, and production, we all share the same goal. I take pride in supporting the project to help it reach its fullest potential.