Collegiate Theatrics: Emma Jordan of Wright State University

For people who have known her since she was a child, it may seem like Emma Jordan has been fated to live a life onstage. Growing up in her hometown of Dickson, she was acting on stages throughout Middle Tennessee, starring in shows at the Renaissance Center and appearing onstage at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theater. Now a senior at Ohio's Wright State University in Dayton, where she's studying musical theater, Emma has her sights set on graduation next spring and an acting career thereafter.

Most recently, she's played Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Fairfield Summer Theatre and she was seen as Madeleine True in the Wright State production of The Wild Party.

We caught up with Emma just after Thanksgiving break and just before her finals get under way to find out how the whole college thing has worked out for her, to see if it's been what she always hoped it would be and, finally, to find out if it's been worth all the effort...

So, how's your college theater career going? Has it lived up to its advance hype? Well, I'm about to wrap up the first half of my senior year, so, it's almost over! Wright State has exceeded all expectations I ever had of what my college experience would be like. As scary as the idea of graduating is, I am confident in the training and education I've received over the past four years, and am so ready to test it all out in the "big bad real world."

What's your favorite part of studying at Wright State University? Wow, that's tough. There are so many aspects on which I can focus, so I'm going to choose two, and try my best to stick to those.

First, the training. Wright State offers a B.F.A. in Acting with an Emphasis in Musical Theatre. One of our professors always reminds us that auditioning is really a giant acting contest among excellent singers. That is something I love about our program - they instill the idea in us that only possessing the ability to sing a piece well will not get us the job. It's about what we, as an individual, can bring to the table.

Secondly, the people. I think that our program is small enough that we, as the students, have the unique opportunity to connect with our faculty, and vice versa. Individual meetings, coffee dates, or even "Orphan Thanksgivings" for the out-of-staters are not foreign ideas to the students and faculty here. Most every student leaves with a very personal relationship with each member of our faculty, and that is because of our faculty's willingness to get to know each of us as individuals. This makes for a very personal, open, and safe learning environment. I love it.

Have the plans for your future changed since your experiences in college? Surprisingly, no. One day, I will have a place in New York, but, for now, I want to travel, and theatre gives me that fantastic opportunity.

What theatrical moment looms largest in your memory of your time in college so far? Well, my three best friends from school and I decided that we wanted to add even more to our plate, so we mounted a production of God of Carnage. The four of us loved the show, and we all felt like it was a play that we could do really well in a collegiate setting. It was a total labor of love-we would have to rehearse from 10 p.m. to midnight during the week, and we were all drained by the time we opened. But, once we opened, and got such a positive response from our peers and faculty, I realized how fortunate I was to be able to create something with my three closest friends at school that showcased who we are as artists and people.

What advice would you offer to high school students considering making the plunge? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Getting a degree in this business is not easy, and it's certainly not a worthless degree, despite what some friends and family might say. A life in the arts is emotionally and physically frustrating and exhausting, but it's also rewarding, important and, most of all, fun! If this is what you want to do, then do it, but do it well. I've been told that, in this world, auditioning will be your job, and performing will be your reward. If that is your mentality, and you do your job well, then you will succeed.

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