Meet Emma Flannery! An accomplished ATC alum working on the west coast featured in ATC’s upcoming Alumni Cabaret, Emma’s journey with Actors Training Center represents the vast reach that the training given in ATC classes has on students, even when branching out of the Chicago acting scene. ATC is proud to highlight Emma Flannery as a Featured Alum.
Now based in Los Angeles, California, Emma is a founding team member and Director of Operations of the Huron Station Playhouse, a new non-profit theater on the eastside of Los Angeles, a project spearheaded by actor Alden Ehrenreich. Emma was on the production team for a series of four readings in the fall of 2024, with directors including Jack Serio and Steve H. Broadnax and actors, including Jeff Perry, Stephanie Hsu, Chris Perfetti, Dylan O’Brien, and Betty Gabriel. Emma received their first Lead Producer credit this spring for the reading of a new play titled “Killing and Dying,” directed by Anne Kauffman and co-produced with Square Peg (Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen). Emma comments on this process, “Helping build Huron from the ground up – truly, we were installing flooring the week of our first reading – and watching it evolve has been a life-changing experience, and taught me so much about how these larger projects come together behind the scenes.”
Emma Flannery in ATC’s Comedy Troupe No Explanation, Directed by Tim Soszko
Emma says, “ATC demystified what it means to be “professional”, “prepared,” or “good to work with” in entertainment. It taught me what to expect and, more importantly, what strengths and tools I had at my disposal to take on new projects and challenges.”
Emma Flannery on the set of Apple TV’s The Morning Show with Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon
A jack of many trades, Emma not only works as a producer, but also manages the Huron Station Playhouse in LA, owned by actor Alden Ehrenreich, recently featured in the LA Times. When reflecting on how their ATC training has prepared them for a multitude of opportunities in the industry, Emma comments, “Everything I learned in my acting training translated into that journey, on a slightly different side of the industry. I’ve been asked in production meetings: How do I keep such a cool head while problem-solving? How do I forge great relationships with the actors and directors I work with? How do I anticipate what the artists I work with might need or ask for? The answer is always my acting training.”
Emma Flannery, Director of Operations at Huron Station Playhouse
“What I have found sets me apart in my work as a producer, writer, and actor is that, no matter what kind of day I’m having, I can step into a room and put the art first. The ability to distill my creative drive into professional focus is a strength I acquired in my time at ATC,” Emma adds.
Like every actor out there, Emma is no stranger to the challenges of the entertainment industry, recognizing the major changes brought on throughout the past few years. Emma comments, “The industry is constantly shifting. Similarly, my path through the industry is always changing. But I’ve learned that knowing your worth as an artist, having confidence in the work you do, and having a deep appreciation for the creative process always remain at the center. What makes ATC stand out is the way it empowers you to take hold of your career by giving you the tools and understanding of the industry necessary to navigate it.”
Early Headshot of Emma Flannery
As an alum who has branched out to several new communities from their roots in Wilmette, to their education at Washington University in St. Louis where they were awarded the Margaret Ewing Prize for Acting, to the LA entertainment scene, Emma reflects, “I am beyond thankful for all I learned at ATC and am so proud to see the way ATC is continuing to grow to meet the new challenges of an ever-changing entertainment industry.
Emma Flannery as Elle Woods in Washington University’s Legally Blonde.
To put a button on their experience growing and changing with Actors Training Center, Emma tells us, “when I hear the phrase “at ATC we train to work,” I think of the values that were instilled in me as a young artist, that I continue to use whether I am stepping onto a stage or into a production meeting: to be truthful, to be present, and to be prepared.”
ATC’s Summer 2025 Cabaret Performer Lineup
For tickets to ATC’s Summer 2025 Cabaret, CLICK HERE.
To view ATC’s Wall of Fame, CLICK HERE.
