INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR EMILY WALTON
Education Dramaturg Ted Sod spoke with actor Emily Walton about her work on Darling Grenadine.
Ted Sod: Where were you born and educated? Did you have any teachers who had a profound influence on you? Emily Walton: I was born in Los Angeles, CA, but raised in Riverdale, New York. I went to a performing arts middle school in Manhattan called PPAS and to LaGuardia (the “Fame” school) for high school. I also studied at Ithaca College briefly. I’m going to give a quick mention to a few teachers who definitely had a profound influence on me. In middle school, my music theory teacher, Chuck Vassallo, kind of changed my life! I developed a deep love of music theory because of his teaching and even signed up for an advanced music theory class that met during our lunch period a couple times a week. (Yes, I was a bit of a nerd.) In high school, I had an acting teacher named Harry Shifman, who really challenged me and made me feel like a true actor for the first time. And last but not least, both of my parents, Bob and Laurie Walton, were excellent teachers in this arena. My dad is a very talented actor and musician, and my mom runs a super successful youth theatre company in Riverdale. I did shows under her direction throughout middle and high school and learned more from both of them in those formative years than I can even articulate.
TS: Why did you choose to play Louise in Daniel Zaitchik’s musical Darling Grenadine? What do you find most exciting and challenging about this role? EW: I chose to do Darling Grenadine because Daniel Zaitchik is my best friend and, well, he wrote the role of Louise for me. So it was kind of a no-brainer! Daniel has been a huge part of my life, creatively and as a friend, for almost 13 years. He is an incredibly special person and talent, and I am so excited for New York to get a glimpse of his singular brain and heart through this show. His writing speaks to a part of me that I can’t even describe, and I think others will feel similarly. Truthfully, the most challenging thing about the role of Louise is that she’s a grownup. Like, an actual woman. I’ve often played “kids” in my life, and with this role, I have to tap into parts of myself and my psyche that are difficult—and sometimes uncomfortable—to access. She is stronger and more powerful than I feel on a daily basis, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of finding those characteristics in myself through her. And the most exciting thing about the role of Louise is that I get to sing the way my voice naturally loves to sing, and I get to speak the way my voice naturally loves to speak. All thanks to Daniel!
TS: Can you give us some insight into your process as an actor? What research did you have to do in order to play Louise? EW: I honestly can’t say I have a “process” as an actor. It seems to vary from project to project. I’m someone who learns the most and feels the most fulfilled when doing things up on my feet—really experiencing them. With that in mind, I think my daily goal in a rehearsal room is to feel as familiar as possible with the words I’m saying or singing so that it frees me up to be physically and emotionally open to the people and circumstances around me. As far as preparation and research for this role goes, the most valuable thing to me is attempting to understand the mindset of addicts and those who love them. Fortunately, I don’t have much experience in this field in my real life, so I look to others to educate me. It’s such a sensitive, difficult topic, and so I try to approach it all with care, curiosity, and understanding.
14 ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
Emily Walton
TS: What would you say the musical Darling Grenadine is about? How is the character of Louise relevant to you? EW: I think the musical is about love, put simply. Not just romantic love, but love between friends, familial love, love of art, love of what we create, the things we do for love, and when love verges on addiction. It’s definitely hard to crystallize what the show is “about,” but I think love is a great start. The character of Louise is relevant to me because she is me in a lot of ways! Daniel has written her in a way that is incredibly familiar to me. As I said before, I think she is very strong and powerful... she just doesn’t really know it. I think Louise doesn’t believe in herself or her own ambition. She experiences low self-esteem and doubts her career path on a daily basis. I view her as someone who is on the cusp of a big moment of self-actualizing; she just doesn’t quite see it yet.
TS: How do you understand the relationship between Harry and Louise? EW: I know the script is constantly in flux, but my current understanding of the relationship between Louise and Harry is exactly how Louise describes it in Act Two: they have such chemistry. They are two people who feel destined to know each other. They speak the same language, and there is something instantly recognizable about each of them to each other. I think there is a deep love and connection there that is hindered by the existence (and denial) of addiction, of various kinds.
TS: What do you look for from a director, choreographer, and music director when you are collaborating on a new musical? EW: Above everything else, kindness and a sense of humor. Obviously,
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