Emily Blake founded the Théâtre de la Solitude in 2001. She is particularly interested in pieces based on poetic and literary texts, seeking to convey the music of the English language to francophone audiences. She is also committed to encouraging the voices of women. A series of theatrical portraits, starting with Simone de Beauvoir: Notes on a Life, New York City, 2000, has used the texts of important female figures to explore their life and work, public and private. Numerous readings with women performers, writers, or directors have been given in the space: Les Bonnes of Jean Genet, with Jeanine Sémédo and Dominique Benoît-Frot, directed by Olga Terbach; readings by the Franco-Brazilian actress Marcia de Castro of her own Hyenas in the City and L'Hôtel; a one-woman performance of La Marquise d'O of Kleist; poems of the French artist and writer Elisabeth Pillorget. Catharine A. MacKinnon, feminist icon, attended the French première of her own Whose Culture, one of the essays in Feminism Unmodified.
Awards, residencies, affiliations: BA summa cum laude; grant from the City of Paris,
2009-10; short listed for the Ella Lyman Cabot prize, 2010; Djerassi Resident Artists
Program, spring 2011; Atelier de la Rose residency, 2011. Member, Actors Equity
Association; WomenArts Network; International Museum of Women.
New York City
Three Sisters (Chekhov): Masha. Ghosts (Ibsen): Mrs Alving. The Apple Cart (Shaw): Amanda. All at Westside Repertory Theatre. Simone de Beauvoir: Notes on a Life/ On Sex, Art and Feminism. Simone. One-woman show directed by Michael John Murnin and written and produced by Emily Blake. Saint Marks Studio Theatre. L'Avare (Molière): Frosine. In French and English. National Theatre of the Performing Arts. In New York at Town Hall and national tour. Soap Opera: Lucy. At the Gallery Players, Brooklyn. Henry IV, Part 1: Mistress Quickly. Columbia Players, Columbia University. Dressing Room Divas: Joan Collins. At The Duplex, Greenwich Village. Once Upon A Bus: Robin. Tour of the boroughs with Mass Transit Street Theatre. Hit the Road: Bobo the Hobo. Christmas Play: Zelda the Clown. Both with the street troupe of Theater for the New City. Lizzie (a spoof of Lysistrata): reading. At Musical Theatre Works. These Shoes: The Daughter. At the Theater-Studio. The Radio Plays Series: rotating roles. At Oasis Theatre Company. Stage Door: Judith Canfield. With the Barbara Spiegel Theatre Workshop of the New School for Social Research. Freed Speech: Catharine MacKinnon. Dramatized reading of a series of hearings on pornography in Minnesota. Followed by an open debate with MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin. Eugene Lang College of The New School for Social Research.
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center : The Edith Whartons. Edith. Mayflower (poem). Second Voice. The Tenancy of Mr. Eex. Liz. With the troupe of The Open Book Theatre Company. The Black Cat and The Cask of Amontillado (Poe). The Wife, Lady Fortunato. Louis (Saki): Lena. All with Chamber Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts (national tour). A Midsummer Night's Dream: Titania. Love's Labor's Lost: Rosaline. The Rivals: Mrs Malaprop. Suddenly Last Summer: Sister Felicity. The School For Wives: Agnes. Crimes of the Heart: Meg. Fifth of July: Gwen. All with the troupe of Theatre Out of a Suitcase, California. Godspell : Joanne. Alice in Wonderland : The Dormouse. The Sound of Music: Sister Margaretta. All at The Country Summer Theatre, Concord, Massachusetts.
Epris d'Aventure and Sous les Etoiles du Pôle : Voix Off. Both directed by Hugues de Rosière, for France 3 and France 5. Mrs Selby's Dream: Mrs Selby. Directed by Marcel Wenger (independent, Paris). Maman : A lunch guest. Directed by Alexandra Leclere. De Bon Matin : An American tourist. Directed by Jean-Marc Moutout, with Jean-Pierre Darroussin. Not Alone: Julieta (principal). New York University. Girl Talk: Carolyn (principal). Manhattan Cable Video.