Q/A with Emma Baker

Posted by Nick Martinez and Christopher Stahelin in Performing Arts

By Nick Martinez/ Photos by Chris Stahelin 

In the first of a series of Q&A sessions with SFUAD students, Jackalope Magazine speaks with freshman Performing Arts Department student Emma Baker. Baker muses on SFUAD, coloring books, and the new Jesus Christ.

Jackalope Magazine: How does it feel to be in college?

Emma Baker: It’s been really fun so far. Been real crazy. I’ve met lots of people, which is awesome. I love meeting people. It’s one of my favorite things, besides performing. Overwhelming for sure. We’ve already had auditions for the first show. That was really exciting and fun. It’s like a new audition process. Much different than high school, and I got two call backs, and one of them was for the part I really wanted, which is awesome.

JM: Why theater?

EB: That’s sort of a hard question. I’ve always loved to perform, and acting is my favorite kind. I started in dance. My mom is a dance teacher. She owned a studio all throughout my childhood and that’s kind of how the whole performance thing started. When I got older I started getting into musical theatre and acting, because it’s all those things: dancing, singing, acting. Now it’s just what I do and I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.

JM: What actor or actress do you admire, or try to emulate?

EB: Sutton Foster. Do you know who Sutton Foster is?

JM: No, I don’t. Tell us about Sutton Foster.

EB: She is like this generation’s Broadway Jesus Christ. Everyone loves Sutton Foster. She was the original Millie, in Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway. She was the original Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical. God she’s been in everything. She was on a television show–I think on ABC Family. It was called Bun heads, and it sucked. But Sutton Foster is still cool. She’s so great at musical theater. She has an awesome voice. She started out as a dancer–same as me. That’s where she thought she was going. Then she became an understudy for Millie and the original got sick, and she won awards.

JM: Are you primarily focused on theater or are you interested in any film work?

EB: I’ve never done film, but I have interest in it–it’s such a different style of acting. But right now I love the stage. Just the adrenaline rush and the energy you get from it, it’s crazy. It’s like drugs. I feel like I couldn’t get that with film.

JM: Why Santa Fe? Why come to SFUAD?

EB: It was always in my top couple of schools. By the end it was between SCAD [Savannah College of Art and Design] and SFUAD. I’m eventually going to double major in graphic design. Well I hope to. That’s what my parents want me to do at least. And I like graphic design. It’s a safer and more lucrative career than acting. It’s some thing to do between acting jobs. That’s the dream there. It’s like I’m a graphic designer but then when I’m in a show, I’m in a show, you know?

SCAD has a better graphic design by far. SCAD’s like the number one in the world or something stupid. But then Santa Fe has the better theater program. SCAD’s performing arts is sort of, (meh hand) lacking. So since theatre is my main priority right now– chasing the dream–I decided here. Also it’s cheaper but you don’t have to put that in. (laughs)

JM: What would be your dream play or musical

EB: That could be done here?

JM: Yes. It’s like your senior year, and it’s your dream play, and you were cast as the lead.

EB: Oh man. (Sighs) That’s a tough one. I would have to say Rent. It’s my parent’s favorite show, it’s my favorite show, and I was raised on that music. Which if you listen to the soundtrack it would explain a lot about my life. (Laughs) I’m a pretty weird kind, and all that music is weird and crazy. But I would have to be Maureen Johnson. Either that, or Sally Bowels in Cabaret.

JM: Is there any weird thing you do that you want people to know about?

EB: I’m sure there is. Hold on. Let my scan my mental file cabinet of weird things. I really like to color in coloring books. I always have a coloring book and colored pencils. It’s therapeutic. It’s art therapy. One of my friends from Illinois is an art therapist, and got me started on it. I definitely color in coloring books all the time. (laughs)

JM: OK last question. 24 hours to live. What are you doing?

EB: I have 24 hours to live? Oh man, I knew there was going to be a hard question like this. (laughs)

JM: This is the fluff question!

EB: I would go to the airport and buy the first plane ticket to anywhere in Europe.

JM: You would have like 12 hours to live after that.

EB: It depends, it depends.

JM: Well at least you can fly first class.

EB: Well yeah it’s my last 24; I’m absolutely going to fly first class. Probably to London. Paris would be cool too. But then I’d buy the first ticket I could find to any musical in the theater district. I’d watch it, then totally creep by the back door to get autographs, which I do now anyways. But I’d try really hard since it’s my last 24.

JM: (Laughs) What’s the point of getting autographs if you’re dying. You have like 6 hours left at this point.

EB: You still get to meet them though!