Author: Emily Miller Writes

Back to Shakespeare!

Posted on by Emily Miller Writes

AS GOOD LUCK WOULD HAVE IT (The Merry Wives of Windsor), I’ve been cast in another Shakespeare show. I’m going back to my masterclass roots and schooling in London to take on the Bard ONCE MORE (unto the breach dear friends, Henry V). 

I will be playing Lady Olivia in Trilogy Rep’s outdoor production of Twelfth Night. This will be my second production with this company, and my fifth time with director Paul Bettys.

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SYNOPSIS

Viola and her twin brother Sebastian have been shipwrecked; each believes the other to be drowned. Viola disguises herself as a young man and, under the name of Cesario, gets a job as a servant for the Duke, Orsino.

A LOVE TRIANGLE

Orsino is in love with Olivia, but she’s mourning for her dead brother, so has rejected all his advances so far. He sends Cesario (who is really Viola) wth love letters to woo Olivia on his behalf. Unfortunately for the Duke, Olivia is taken in by Cesario’s disguise and falls in love with him.

Viola has secretly fallen in love with Orsino, and Orsino is confused by his feelings for his new ‘male’ servant. So, Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia and Olivia loves Cesario/Viola.

TRICKING MALVOLIO

Olivia’s butler, Malvolio, disapproves of all the other members of her household – her drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek and her servants, Maria, Feste and Fabia. Fed up with Malvolio constantly spoiling their fun, they decide to play a practical joke on him.

Malvolio is secretly in love with Olivia, and the others trick him into believing that these feelings are returned. Maria forges a letter to Malvolio, supposedly from Olivia, suggesting that she loves him and he should wear yellow stockings and smile all the time. Malvolio does as the letter suggests, and Olivia thinks he has gone mad, so has him locked up.

SEBASTIAN RETURNS

Viola’s brother, Sebastian, who believes his sister is dead, arrives with his friend and protector, Antonio, who rescued him from the shipwreck.

Sebastian meets Olivia. She mistakes him for Cesario and asks him to marry her, he agrees.

CONFUSION, COUPLING AND A HAPPY ENDING

Lots of confusion follows around the mistaken identity of Sebastian and Cesario, and exactly who is promised to whom. Eventually all is revealed, the brother and sister are reunited and the love triangle is resolved into two couples, Sebastian and Olivia, and Viola and Orsino.

Finally, Viola discovers the trick that has been played on Malvolio, and he’s released from confinement. (Source)

Scheduled performance dates for “Twelfth Night,” produced by Hank Barre and directed by Paul Bettys, are this Friday and Saturday, July 28 to 29 2017, and the following Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, Aug. 3, 4 and 5 2017.

Performances begin at 8 p.m. unless rain cancels.

Theater lovers are invited to bring chairs, blankets and snacks. And I promise, the play is AS MERRY AS THE DAY IS LONG, (Much Ado About Nothing) just look at our faces!!

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Cast in King Charles III

Posted on by Emily Miller Writes

Good news! I’m pleased to announce that I will once again NOT be playing a princess. My love interest in the show however, may or may not be a prince. May be.

I’ve been cast as Jess in Zenith Players’s production of King Charles III by Mike Bartlett. The production will be at Pax Amicus Theatre in Budd Lake New Jersey.

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Prince Charles has spent his lifetime in a state of waiting. Since he was four years old, Charles has watched his father and mother rule, studied history, read, learned, and contemplated the type of king that he would become. Still, he has never had a chance to rule — until now. In Mike Bartlett’s daring new play, King Charles III, the erstwhile prince finally receives his chance to ascend the British throne and rule. His idealism is put to the test almost immediately after his mother’s death. A new law has been passed by Parliament that will severely limit the freedom of press. The time has come for the king to sign off on the law, as tradition dictates, but Charles will not. He believes that it is his job as king to protect the rights of his people. Parliament sees this as a dogmatic violation the rights of his people. A political standoff ensues, one that causes the entire country to rethink the role of their sovereign, the freedom of press, the power of their elected officials, and idealism in a contemporary political landscape. Written in masterful blank verse, this Olivier award-winning “future” history play challenges the audience: what sway do ideals hold in the modern political world?

Directed by Claire Boechenik, this marks my first production with Zenith Players. I also hope this is not the last time I work with Prince Harry.

Performances are April 7 through 23, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. (No performance on Easter Sunday, April 16.)

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Dramaturgy Residency

Posted on by Emily Miller Writes

For all my dramaturgy followers, I am pleased to announce that I will be teaching Dramaturgy for the 2016-2017 school year as a Guest Artist at a Performing Arts High School.

As part of my residency I will be working with the Sophomore and Junior class, getting them familiar with dramaturgy and then gradually work with them while they research their fall and spring shows.

I can’t wait to get started and will post more updates on my Dramaturgy page.

Moon Over Buffalo; Or the Show I’m Not a Princess

Posted on by Emily Miller Writes

Hello World!

I’m excited to announce that I will be playing the great and powerful (R)oz in Ken Ludwig’s classic, Moon Over Buffalo. 

This madcap comedy centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950’s. At the moment, they’re playing Private Lives and Cyrano De Bergerac in repertory in Buffalo. On the brink of a disastrous split-up caused by George’s affair with a young ingénue, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee. After a series of mishaps and misunderstandings, can George and Charlotte, pull it all together to impress Mr. Capra?

September 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, October 1

Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00pm
Sundays at 3:00pm

This marks my return to Studio Players in Montclair, NJ and has me once again paired with director Paul Bettys.

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Another Show, Another Princess

Posted on by Emily Miller Writes

I will once again be returning to Studio Playhouse to play a princess. This time I will be playing Sleeping Beauty in a production of Snow White and The Seven Fairy Godmothers. Yes, you read that correctly.

Snow White is being pursued by the evil Vilenity, who wishes to conquer the kingdom, and she will need help from seven fairy godmothers! But what happens when Snow White switches places with Sleeping Beauty? This fairy tale adventure will leave you laughing and cheering as Snow White and her friends work together to defeat the evil Vilenity and her henchmen.

Performance Dates: April 30, May 1, 7, 8

Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 and 3:30

Here’s a sneak peek at the production.

Sleeping Beauty in “Snow White”
Sleeping Beauty in “Snow White”
Sleeping Beauty in “Snow White”

Staged Reading of Green Whales

Posted on by Emily Miller Writes

Recently I was invited to do a Staged Reading of a new play entitled Green Whales by upcoming playwright Lia Romeo. The play will be staged on March 02 as part of a series for the Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, an Equity Theatre in NJ. It will be directed by Laura Ekstrand, Artistic Director of Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, another Equity Theatre based in NJ.

I will be playing the lead Karen, a 38 year old college professor who has a rare disease that makes her appear like she’s in her early teens. Tired of being alone, her younger sister sets her up with the neighborhood pedophile in the hopes the two will experience love. Crazy hi-jinks ensue in this hilarious dark comedy.

For those interested:

Reading date: Wednesday, March 02, at 7 pm

Location: Bickford Theatre, Morristown, NJ

Stage Kiss

Posted on by Emily Miller Writes

In early November, after wrapping up Frankenstein’s Fate I was lucky enough to get cast in a production of Stage Kiss. The play, written by Sarah Ruhl, follows two actors who had a horrible break up in their twenties and haven’t spoken in twenty years, who now get cast in a play where they play ex lovers who are reunited after not speaking for twenty years. What will happen when life begins to imitate art in this hilarious comedy about life on and off stage.

I was fortunate enough to be cast in several roles in the show. First in act 1, I played the maid and the actress’s daughter in the play within a play. For Act 2, I got to play the spunky real life daughter of the main actress. Playing these three roles required many costume changes, wig and a really cool tattoo.

The show was directed by Mark Liebert and staged at Studio Playhouse in Montclair, NJ. This marked my second show at this theater. It ran from January 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23. For production stills, go to the photos section on my website.

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Sidetrack Series

Posted on by Emily Miller Writes

A while back I had provided the update that I had been cast in an incredible new webseries, Sidetrack. The series follows 8 LGBT women and people living in Manhattan. I starred in the series as Allie Adams, a succesful lesbian Youtube blogger who creates videos with her partner Jo. As the series unfolds it’s revealed that though these two have the perfect on camera romance, their actual lives are much different from what they appear to be.

I filmed for 6 weekends over the summer and the series premiered in November on Youtube. I was billed as a series regular and appeared in 6 out of 10 episodes in season 1.

To subscribe to their youtube channel and watch the entire first season click here!

The following are specifically the episodes I appeared in:

Season 1, Episode 2.

Season 1, Episode 3.

Season 1, Episode 5.

Season 1, Episode 7.

Season 1, Episode 9.

Season 1, Episode 10.

The show was reviewed positively by several news outlets.

AV Club :

“The series is an enjoyable romp, offering plenty of laughs and relatable moments seen through the lens of the lesbian experience. There is a smartly observed naturalism to the writing, full of wry humor and a few winking asides to its forebearer, Showtime’s seminal The L Word. The direction hews closer to the artistic single-camera cinematography of shows like FX’s Louie.”

AfterEllen.com :

“While the show is set up with character-themed episodes, the cast’s lives intersect often, which is pretty much on point for any group of queer folks in the same city. A little bit gritty, funny, and most definitely addictive, Sidetrack makes a great addition to the growing world of queer-centric web series.”

Mic.Com :

“This new series follows the lives of queer women in New York City. Each episode tells one woman’s story, exploring her unique experience in relation to the other characters. Released on Nov. 17, it’s already gaining traction with its nuanced portrayal of being queer in New York amid the general turmoil of being in your 20s.”

 

So what are you waiting for and go binge it 🙂

 

 

Frankenstein’s Fate

Posted on by Emily Miller Writes

I have been a terrible person. I have neglected my website. But that is because I have been out and about. So now I am providing all the major updates in my life…in one day. So no, I’m not this accomplished, I just finally have a free moment.

Between September-October I was in rehearsal for and performing in Frankenstein’s Fate, an 1800s melodrama based on the classic horror novel, Frankenstein’s Monster by Mary Shelly. It was turned into a musical by director William Ward.

I played Agatha Delacey, Dr. Frankenstein’s love interest, aka the girl that gets strangled. The play was staged at The Farmstead Arts Center in the historic English Barn in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. It ran from October 16- Halloween. For more information check out the photos in my Production Stills section.

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