We are thrilled to introduce you to yet another remarkable Playing Hot cast member, Emma Meltzer. Like much of the cast, Emma has been developing the show with us since the beginning, way back in 2015. Read more from Emma below and catch her in Playing Hot (April 18 – May 12). Grab your tickets today while you still can!
Pipeline Theatre Company: Why are you working on this project? What is most exciting to you about being part of Playing Hot?
Emma Meltzer: Playing Hot asks a lot of questions I’m really interested in. Questions about success, about fame, about genius. About the experience of being ahead of your time. It asks about authenticity and what that word even means. It asks about love and ambition and how these can fuel us to do great things. And at its heart it asks how it’s possible for this great artist to be forgotten? What are the mechanisms we’re all wrapped inside that made that possible? And then, as theatrical piece- how do you tell a story if it’s been forgotten?
PTC: When did you first start working on Playing Hot? Tell us about what this journey has been like for you.
EM: I have been a part of Playing Hot from the very first workshop, which is pretty darn cool. I love working on new plays and this one has been a particular joy. Getting to learn about Buddy Bolden, about jazz, about New Orleans through working on this piece has been an extraordinary experience, and then putting together this piece to share it all, it feels like I’ve been dancing for four year straight and I never want to stop.
PTC: Tell us about your characters in Playing Hot and where/if you see yourself in them.
EM: I play a whole lot of characters in Playing Hot, one of whom is Ranger Karen. Ranger Karen is a very real ranger at the very real Jazz National Historical Park that exists and is dedicated to the preservation of jazz history in New Orleans. My character is inspired by her, by her love of New Orleans, her dedication to its history and to sharing it with those who visit the park. That love really resonates with me, at the heart of which I think is a belief in people. A belief in change. A belief that the world gets better when we look outside of ourselves and learn together. I definitely see myself in those beliefs.
You can hear Emma’s voice in a new animated series for Cartuna called “Yard Sale” and she’ll soon be going on tour with Boomwaggle, a wild musical storytelling piece with Joseph White. You can follow her adventures at @emmameltzer on Instagram. And don’t forget to catch Emma in Playing Hot, April 18 – May 12. Grab your tickets now!
