Spotlight: Emma Thetford

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Emma Thetford is a senior at Mill Creek and is part of the MC Theater Department. She has been involved in theater since her seventh grade year and has had opportunities to play lead roles in musicals. In the musical Curtains, a comedic murder mystery. She played Nikki Harris, a bubbly, hopeless romantic who loves to perform her heart on the stage.

Thetford had to make changes in her personal life to keep up with the commitment of having a lead role, “I literally had to quit my job. It was really hard to sit down and do my work at 10 o’clock at night after rehearsals.” In between juggling school and theater, Thetford had to find downtime in rehearsals, “When I had time to eat, I would sit in the dressing room and type up an essay.”

Thetford’s mother played a big part of her continuation in theater, “She has definitely covered for me a million times. She has always stayed, helped, and supported me. She is amazing and I love her so much.”

She has plans to attend Kennesaw State University and was accepted into the honors program, “I’m gonna major in middle grade education for social studies or language arts.” Thetord plans to continue her theatrical passion while in attendance at KSU, “I really want to continue performing and doing what I love.”

One common word has been used to describe Mill Creek Theater, family, “They’re just my people. My family.” Thetford has been grateful for the friendships she has experienced during her four years in high school, “I don’t get to see half of them during school, yet they are my closest friends. I can go to them whenever I am upset, so in a way it’s like our own little family.”

After quarantine, Thetford talked about what she struggled with when readjusting to post-pandemic life, “I know I lost a lot of motivation during quarantine.”

She says that theater gave her an outlet from her hectic world, “Having a hobby and people that are like your family is so good. I genuinely don’t think my mental health would be where it is if I didn’t have an outlet.”

Curtains was Thetford’s last musical before her graduation, “It was so surreal, it almost hasn’t clicked in my mind. I would watch every senior since my freshman year take their senior bows. It was a nice final moment.”