Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily K Marsh.
Hi Emily K, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the Virginia suburbs outside of Washington DC. I was a shy kid, so in third grade when I came home from school telling my mom, I had gotten cast in the school play she was shocked. The play was little scenes from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and in my scene, I needed to yell at two older boys playing Demetrius and Lysander. I remember vividly my director telling me that on stage it was okay for me to be as loud as I wanted and as big as I wanted, something I was always so scared to be in my everyday life. Getting that freedom at such a young age was life-changing. From that moment being a performer was all I wanted to be.
In college at Virginia Commonwealth University, we learned a lot of amazing techniques but the program was also very honest about the challenges of trying to make it professionally as an actor. One of my teacher’s favorite sayings was that making it as a professional performer required a whole lot of preparation and a whole lot of luck. There was also a lot of emphasis on playing the characters you looked like. This of course makes perfect sense for an industry that is, at the end of the day, a visual medium. But I remember feeling more and more frustrated with the phrase ‘play to your type’ as the years in school went by. This set the stage for me to discover my second performance love, puppetry.
In my senior year of college our main stage show was Avenue Q. I was cast and like everyone else in the show, had no puppetry experience whatsoever. A grad student, who had studied puppetry, taught us everything: lip synch, moves, eye focus. To have a performance style be so technical and apart from your physical appearance was the balance I was looking for. I was so taken with the medium that after college I got a job being a performer and puppeteer with Madcap Puppets, a Touring Puppet company in Cincinnati Ohio. That was the beginning of the next 10 years of making my living as an actor and puppeteer.
Over these ten years, I have gotten to work all over the country: Cincinnati, Washington DC, NYC, Atlanta, and now Los Angeles. Starting in theatrical performance, I will always love performing for a live audience but I have really enjoyed refining my performance style for film and TV. I have also loved the synergy that has come from working as an actor and a puppeteer. Week to week, my technical challenges are wildly different but similar in that it is all in the pursuit of making something that captivates viewers and tells a compelling story.
Most recently these two passions made it possible for me to become the newest host in season 13 of the cult class show Mystery Science Theater 3000, a show I have been a huge fan of since I was a kid. I had originally auditioned as a puppeteer but was cast as a face actor in the show. If I hadn’t had the skills as a successful puppeteer, I never would have gotten this dream acting job.
Alright, 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?
I cannot say enough how un-smooth my career has been up to this point. Nothing has gone according to plan, but I am so grateful for that. Looking back there were so many moments when I felt like I was never going to work again and that my best experiences were behind me. But every time I was and have been proven wrong. It’s amazing how much we as humans, psychologically beat ourselves up or have imposter syndrome. As a performer, you have to battle twice as hard against that negative self-talk because you are the one who has to constantly pitch and believe in yourself.
My way to cope has been to fake it till I make it. There have been so many times I have walked onto a set and been so frightened that someone would ‘find out’ that I didn’t deserve to be there. The first time I headlined a tour I was worried that people would actually boo me off stage. To help combat that negative way of thinking, I always pretend it’s like I am crashing a wedding. I might as well enjoy the party until I get found out, and low and behold usually it turns out I was meant to be there the whole time.
Another challenge has been choosing not to specialize in acting or in puppetry but doing both. A lot of times people have asked, ‘Okay but which one are you more?’. Answering that question always felt like a trap because the reality is I think of myself as equally both and I think having both makes me a better performer. In recent years I have become braver in living in the multi-hyphenate world and being proud of the variety of work I have gotten to do.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Very topical from our last question, I consider my specialties acting, singing, and puppeteering. They are all three skills that I have performed at a professional level over the last 10 years, and even occasionally all three skills for the same job. For example, as the newest host of Mystery Science Theater 3000 I needed to act, sing, and interact with my puppet co-stars. All three of those skills are equally important and I feel so proud to have a unique combination of abilities that made me a perfect fit for that role.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I would always recommend reaching out to people whose work you respect, even if you believe they are beyond your sphere of influence. So much of my professional success, I attribute to me not being afraid to email peers in my industry to set up a time to talk over coffee. Those connections have led to me receiving valuable information and sometimes even professional relationships that have continued for years. I have been surprised and moved by how many people have been open to helping me, all it took was being brave enough to reach out.
Contact Info:
- Website: emilykmarsh.com
- Instagram: @emily.k.marsh
- Twitter: @emily_k_marsh
Image Credits
Rebekah Barlas Ryan West
