I am a senior at the college majoring in Theater Studies with some dabbling in the French and Creative Writing departments. As a junior I had the incredible chance to study at LAMDA and that was very formative to my process and performance as a theatermaker. Currently (but not for much longer!) serving as the artistic director of Dooley's Players. Also recently had the awesome opportunity to co-write songs and co-music direct for Britney, Approximately. Grateful for my time at Emory and all the wonderful people!
What's next? I will be spending the summer as a member of Seattle Children's Theater's Emerging Professionals Cohort and working to develop my own practice as a Teaching Artist!
Favorite accomplishment? Something I will carry forward in my heart was being able to direct the special project Marry, Fuck, Breath of Water with Dooley's Players and working with such a dedicated team to build an online production that was full of the pacific ocean and love!
Willa! You are a force of nature! I was constantly impressed by the restless and relentless passion you brought to all the projects I was lucky enough to be in on with you...from the songwriting process of Britney, to your vigorous explorations of form and content in Creating New Works. I'm so excited to see what the future holds for you, and know that I'll always be in your corner. -Drew P.
Hi Willa, congrats! I know you have done so many amazing things at Emory, but my favorite moments of you will always be our poetry workshop, and how you practiced reading these Chinese names and that big monologue in my play New Sun!
---John Cai
Congratulations Willa! Your talent and thoughtful creativity are respected not only by your peers but by the faculty as well. It's been a pleasure getting to know you, and we are excited to see what lies ahead for you in this next stage of your life. You are a bright, beautiful soul, and we will miss you—best of luck in the next chapter.
Sara Culpepper
Hey Willa!
Congratulations on graduating! Your skills as a performer, collaborator, and generative artist are all self-evident, and I know you'll make a fantastic teaching artist! Even with only partial knowledge of all your other accomplishments, it's clear just from watching Dooley's Players and their productions in your time as AD that your impact on Emory's theater community has been profound. Take care, and whether you ultimately decide to pursue performance, directing, or teaching (or all of them, because why not), I'm excited to see where your art takes you!
Best,
Tom Zhang
Willa!!!! Congrats on your graduation! It was so wonderful to collab with you in Creating New Works, and I've loved seeing your impact on the arts at Emory grow over the last four years! I'm so excited to see the many paths you'll wander down next--I know every single one will be amazing.
--Abrianna 💗💗💗