Friend a Day – Emily Cook

Photo by Manna Jaeger

Sometimes you take a chance on someone and it pays off in a big way.

Emily tried out for Vilification tennis a few years ago and she got eliminated rather early.  There was something about her, though, that made me decide to bring her into the cast anyway.  She was a little raw but I saw a lot of potential.

Over the last few years, it has been good to say that my instinct was, in that situation, spot on.  Emily has grown as a performer and it is good to see her moving in the direction of writing more both with Fearless and with some other projects.

Emily recently decided she was an atheist after a long time struggling with questions about her faith.  I’m proud of her primarily because she chose to come out and talk about it publicly.  Being an atheist wasn’t half so important as being willing to stand up and admit something that could have been painful.

In working with her on Vermin, I think her writing style is really starting to develop and she is very good at taking advice from the other writers on the team.  That ability to swallow her ego to work as part of a group is essential to crafting the kind of show we are all working on together.

Socially, Emily is sassy and confident.  She really manages to capture and hold your attention, which may have been one of the reasons I was willing to take that chance on her.

It is a treat to watch her grow into a better performer as she takes each step.  She grows more confident in her abilities but she has never lost that desire to get good feedback on how to improve.  She has just the right mix of cockiness and humility.

I’m glad I decided to give Emily a shot because the results have been great.  She’s a terrific addition to our cast and to my life.