We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emmy Panzica-Piontek. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emmy below.
Hi Emmy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
It’s just who I was from the jump. A significant person in my life used to tell me that a great way to find your joy is to think back on what brought you joy as a kid. And, I was the kid who LOVED “make pretend”. I would develop these detailed plotlines, pitch them to my friends on the playground, and assign their parts. I loved stories, I loved reading. I wrote stories and gave them to my second-grade teacher to check my grammar. I would walk home with a cello on my back and a book in my hands. The cello thing never quite worked out, but when you boil all of it down you get to the core of who I am: I’m a person who loves stories. I love creating them, telling them, reading them, hearing them, watching them. My first attempt at entering the world of theatre was through taking lessons. My incredibly supportive parents let me sign up for a Shakespeare Camp for kids through the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival when I was thirteen. I was SO excited and I got to share the role of Iago in Othello with another student there. It was my first “real” role where I realized that memorizing lines doesn’t come as naturally as the whole “make pretend” thing does. I failed spectacularly in front of all the parents and peers, while the other kid had to continuously save my butt as I fumbled on stage (Hi Stephanie, thanks for being my friend).
My friend and I insisted on singing “A Little Priest” from Sweeney Todd for our eighth-grade talent show. We sang a song about literal cannibalism and which types of people would taste best. The choir teacher tried their best to convince us to go for a High School Musical song instead, but we didn’t take the bait. We pointed to random kids in the audience pretending they might be the tasty people we have for a meat pie. Unconventional? Yes. But it taught me to commit fully. And in doing so, it helped the theater bug ingrain itself properly into my soul. And I’ve never looked back.
Emmy , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
When it comes to the work I do I have several different hats I proudly wear including: actor, playwright, leader, and librarian. I earned my BFA in Theater Performance from the University of Central MO in 2016 with a minor in Sociology. I used to feel a little silly including my minor in my educational history, but as it turns out it has played a huge role in the work that I do.
My first professional acting job outside college was with KC Melting Pot Theatre in “The Ironing Man” by Denny Dey, directed by Warren Deckert. Honestly, I can’t think of a better group of people to have gotten my start with. The folks at KC Melting Pot Theatre are just genuinely good people who treat their folks with respect. These were the first people to take a chance on me. Ironically, my role was “Marion the Librarian”. I had no idea at the time that Library work would later become a day job I was passionate about.
Some of the other first people to take a chance on me when I entered the KC Theatre scene as a professional were Nathan and Elizabeth with Kansas City Public Theatre (KCPT). In 2018, I was first asked to do a reading of a locally written play in development, a part of KCPT’s Play Lab series that season. At the time, KC Public Theatre was a fairly new company and I was excited by their mission. The mission is simple: to provide accessible and professional theatre to the Kansas City community. So, not only was it one of my first introductions into the local acting community, but it was for a company looking to foster new/locally created works and to bring fresh perspectives to classic works, at NO cost to the patron. Theatre and art should be accessible to everyone, and finding a company whose core values clearly aligned with my own excited me endlessly.
Over the years, my work with Kansas City Public Theatre helped develop my work as an actor and inspired me to pursue more paths as a theatre professional. I decided that this mission and company was something I believed in so strongly, that I eventually applied for a position on their Board. I was elected interim secretary within my first year and would later be elected President of the Board for the 2023/2024 season. I’m proud to have been elected President again for the upcoming, and very exciting, 2024/2025 Season. It has been incredibly rewarding to collaborate and lead with such an outstanding company.
After working on Oedipus the King with KC Public Theatre during the pandemic, I quickly formed a friendship and trust with Kitty Corum. Shortly after we closed that show, Kitty came to me with a script concept: The origin story of Medusa. The idea was to create a “modern” Greek tragedy centering on the day that Medusa was forcefully taken by the sea god Poseidon, thus breaking her vow of chastity as a priestess of Athena. It is on this day that Medusa, a victim of sexual assault, is punished and turned from a humble, mortal priestess into the monster that we still see in popular culture to this day. I was hooked. Getting to start this writing process fully allowed me to lean into my love of mythology, specifically Greek mythology. Nathan Bowman came into the process with us from the start and went to work on creating gorgeous music for the Choral Odes. We had the dream team on this project and it refueled my love of writing. We developed the project for over two years, even having a Play Lab reading, before it was first produced with Kansas City Public Theatre. This show was our labor of love, and we found the absolute perfect team to help us bring Medusa’s story to life. It allowed me to collaborate with artists that I’ve known and trusted for quite some time and to work with artists I hadn’t yet gotten the opportunity to work with. Originally, it was a little intimidating to see my name under three different titles (playwright, actor, Board President) on the program for Head of Medusa. But, with the work that went into it and the years of buildup, it was damn cool too. We went on to “sell out” five out of our six performances. The critical and audience response was excellent.
I find most of my passion in helping develop new works, telling stories representative of our diverse world, encouraging a collaborative and safe environment to create, and championing accessibility to literature, technology, and the arts.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
It’s all about making connections and celebrating the human spirit for me. No one is a stranger and I go into almost every interaction expecting that people have the best intentions, (until proven otherwise.) It’s incredible the people you get to meet in doing this business. Everyone comes in with a different skill set and perspective, and I just think that’s so cool. I don’t think you’re ever really done learning and growing as a theatre artist. It’s incredibly beneficial to understand that doing this work professionally means that you should participate not only as someone creating theatre but as an audience member too. I make a point to see as much as I can, fiscally and time-willing. Some of the best performers, writers, directors, and designers are also the ones who never stop being an audience member.
And honestly, just getting to create art with friends makes all the difference. A company I continually support and work with is Rising Tide Productions. Rising Tide is run by not only my favorite people to work with but also my dearest friends: Casey Jane and Katelyn Baron. Every project I’ve done with this company has challenged me as an actor in some of the best ways possible. One of my favorite early memories with this company was working on “The Summer House” by Christie Kennard with KC Fringe. The plot was based on the stories of the women in Jesse James’ life, and I played Zee James, his wife. One of my most favorite moments of connection with an audience member came of this production when Jesse James’ great-granddaughter, Betty Barr came to see the show. I felt so much pressure to represent her great-grandmother with honor. After the show ended, Betty embraced me and we both found ourselves with tears in our eyes. She gave such praise to our cast and crew. You could tell it just really meant a lot to her. It was truly an unforgettable moment.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
It’s interesting how in all of the work I do, even with my “day job” as a librarian it all boils down to championing accessibility and creating safe spaces.
It’s no secret that the KC Theatre Community has been shaken down these last few years and the cracks in our foundation are no longer something that can be ignored. There’s been an unhealthy power dynamic not only between the theatres and audiences but also between those in power and the artists looking to break into the community. I remember when I first stepped into theatre as a young artist and thought, “Wow, these are my people. This is my community.” You know? But then it’s like the further you pursue the more and more gatekeeping you run into. As an audience member, you can only afford so much in ticket prices, you can only drive so far, etc. As a professional, you’re almost immediately met with the idea that you have to pay your dues or prove yourself. It’s like you have to face a gauntlet before you get with the “in crowd”.
We’re at a really interesting crossroads in our community here and there is so much potential for a huge culture reset as new voices begin to break through saying that enough is enough. I want to root for my peers and genuinely celebrate their successes. I want a room where people auditioning have no question that the people on the other side of the table truly want you to nail it. I like to think my “dream roles” haven’t been written yet. Who knows, maybe I’ll write my own dream role or one of my incredibly talented friends will.
Look, I know the situation is far more nuanced than I could ever summarize. But, it’s my hope and my goal to be a force in theatrical spaces pushing for a culture that is above all safe and welcoming. A community that pulls together to tell stories that make you feel seen. We have the potential to make Kansas City an artist’s sanctuary. I truly believe that. I know it can sound very much like I come from a place of naivety, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. As a young artist, I used to succumb to the negative and competitive spirit, sure. I’ve had my fair sure of horror stories in pursuing this path both educationally and professionally. It would be so easy to be jaded. Don’t get me wrong; I think complaining can be healthy. It often highlights what needs to be fixed within the industry. However, I see so clearly the vibrant ecosystem of artistry in our community, and I believe it’s time we recognize Kansas City as the cultural hub it has become.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @emmypanzypio
- Other: Upcoming performances: Trouble in Mind with Kansas City Actors Theatre running August 7 – 25 at City Stage, Union Station:
https://www.kcactors.org/KC Public Theatre:
https://kcpublictheatre.org/Rising Tide Productions KC:
https://www.facebook.com/risingtideproductionskc/KCMPT:
https://kcmeltingpot.com/
Image Credits
The Head of Medusa – Micah Thompson
Headshot: Nellie Maple-Parman, J + J Photography
Black and white photo of the short film “My Mannequin Can Dance”: Matt Cox, photographer
Photo of “Bang” a one-woman show with KC Public Theatre by Dan Born: Nikki Pittman
Photo of KC Public Play Lab with Elizabeth Bettendorf-Bowman: Ai Vy Bui
Large ensemble photo of “Trouble in Mind” with Kansas City Actors Theatre: Brian Paulette