Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmalyn Gladney Miron.
Emmalyn, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The day I knew theatre was for me was the day my parents took me to see a Christmas production of “The Gingerbread Man.” I was about five years old and completely mesmerized by the twin actors who played Salt and Pepper. At a fun moment in the show, the actors froze on stage and I remember asking my mom if they were still human or if they had somehow turned into statues. It was at that time that I fell in love with the magic that live theatre brings to those sitting in the audience! I knew I had to be a part of that. Later my parents signed me up for every theatre lesson available and I loved every moment of the hard work I put in.
The classes led to the next theatrical moment I will forever hold dear. At thirteen, I was cast in the Children’s Choir of the National Broadway Tour of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat!” This was my biggest dream come true. It was also where I learned all the intricacies of a production. I had the pleasure of being treated like a professional at a young age by the cast and crew and felt they took me under their wing and taught me more about the craft. I learned what it was like to work with producers, directors, choreographers, costume designers and more. I knew I was going to spend my life not only singing, acting and dancing but also directing, choreographing, designing and teaching. I kept at my art and earned my BA in Music Theatre and Acting/Directing and spent my summers working with the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival. I kept my theatre work up as I earned my license and Master of Science in Social Work degree on the side.
Theatre is such a crazy adventure. I couldn’t image life without the strange stories it has allowed me to tell both on stage and off. Where else on earth might you wonder if you are actually cursed by the spirits of the “weird sisters” in “Macbeth” or get to tap dance at the Bastille in Paris, France or Irish Dance where St. Patrick used to live or learn combat from a man who specializes in medieval inks at the University of Glasgow? Theatre made me the spunky, adventurous and phased by nothing human being that I am today and I have loved every minute of the journey! I currently teach tap, music theatre, Shakespeare and acting across the metroplex and enjoy my job as the Artistic Director of Poor Yorick Productions. My latest passion project is working with underprivileged youth in Drogheda, Ireland and putting on musicals to raise money for the community there. Founding Compántas Aisteoirí na nÓg Irish-American Music Theatre Initiative has allowed me to share my passion for theatre with students both in DFW and abroad!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When you go to school for directing, one of the first things you learn is whatever goes wrong with a production is on you. I learned this the hard way, with my first directing project in undergraduate school. I was directing an avant-garde piece I put together about the “Persistence of Memory” using actors wearing Dalí style dripping clock masks and dancing in the literal sands of time. I had just finished the entire set complete with tarps and large quantities of sand when I realized the ceiling above was bowing out. It didn’t look right for my piece so I went to get a broom to poke the ceiling tile back up into the rafter when all of a sudden, the ceiling broke and poured water all over me and my beautiful set… making… you got it, mud!
I ran down the hall to the head of the department. He told me that if that happened on a real show night and I was in charge, I’d have to fix it. With my grade at stake and an hour until showtime, I mopped up the water, trashed the ceiling tiles, jumped in the car and went to the nearest store. I rebought everything, redid the whole set, changed into a new outfit and re-dried my hair with about two minutes to curtain time. Not even the actors knew there was an issue. I think about this lesson a lot as a director/producer and try to look at the issues that happen along the way as a giant improv game. Directing and producing keep you thinking on your toes just as much as, if not more, than acting. I am glad I have well-rounded training and a good sense of humor, as no matter how much you plan and prepare, in live theatre, anything can happen and it does! The key is not letting the audience know!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I started Poor Yorick Productions with the goal of producing Shakespeare for the Dallas-Fort Worth Community in a fun and accessible way. I have always had a love for the language. My first teaching job was teaching K-12th grade Shakespearean acting at a classical school. On my first day, I gave all grade levels the “all the world’s a stage speech.” I asked them to listen to it and tell me what they thought it meant. The older students were stumped and caught up on words they did not recognize, while the kindergarteners understood perfectly. My theory is that the younger students were never told the language was hard or different.
My mission for Poor Yorick is to deliver Shakespeare and other productions to our community that audiences think about, enjoy and understand. In rehearsal, we think outside the box and analyze the language, history and context of the play we are working on, but if we do our job right, our audience sees the polished gestalt of the piece and they leave with strong emotions, feelings and stage pictures in their heads. In addition to producing shows around the metroplex, Poor Yorick Productions teaches workshops at local schools and colleges in Acting, Shakespeare and Music Theatre. We also teach adult tap!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
The joy I felt in childhood stemmed from a series of memories rather than just one. I used to love playing dress-up, making up stories and going through my parent’s library. We are from Connecticut and my parents used to get books discarded by Yale professors at a local bookstore. They had these great bookshelves full of every subject you could imagine, which I adored. In about 4th grade, I picked up a copy of “Macbeth.” I thought it had a unique name, so I stuffed it in my backpack for “light” school bus reading. I was hooked on the language, the drama and the strong characters. I thought I better check out some more books by this Shakespeare guy. Luckily they had several. I spent hours re-enacting Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra and Juliet and somehow it stuck.
I remember not being able to sleep at night over my excitement for literature and acting. I wanted to spend all my time writing poetry, playing dress-up and making the poor neighbor kids put on plays. My elementary school teachers didn’t know what to do with me. My first book report was on “Romeo and Juliet,” my history project involved a creative séance bringing back Titanic survivors, and my poetry recitation was not from “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” but rather from the “Highway Man.” They always laughed and said, “Where are you ever going to use all this stuff?” My answer – theatre! Recently I played Lady Macbeth and I must say, all those lines came right back to me from childhood making the memories all the more dear.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pooryorickproductions.com
- Email: pooryorickpro@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poor_yorick_productions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pooryorickproductions/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQazw1vWKRnH7kINmMNkyA
Image Credit:
From Top left, Photo Taken By Merridonna Perez, Photo Taken By Diane Walker-Gladney, Photo Taken By Dell McLain, Photo Taken By Dell McLain, Photo Taken By Chase Hughes, Photo Curtesy of Theatre Britain, Photo Taken By Mike Foster, Photo Taken By KGN Photography, Photo Taken By Diane Walker-Gladney
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