Emily is a Queer Costume Designer with a passion for putting vibrant life into everything she creates. 

She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Performance Production program, minoring in Acting & Dance and Disability Studies. Throughout her years at TMU, Emily wore many hats, all of them stylish. She found her love for Design through her role as lead Costume Designer for DinoLand (2021), and continued on to be Head of Wardrobe for Edward II (2022), Eurydice (2022), and Costume Designer for Springworks Dances (2022). 

In Spring of 2023, her twirl-and-reveal 18th Century Transformation Gown was exhibited at the Create Showcase, and this past June she had the amazing opportunity to represent Canada at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space (PQ) with a figure providing commentary on sustainability and waste reduction in the creative sector, entitled Left Behind. 

Emily’s passions for both theatre and supporting her community blended together during her Fall 2023 season as she celebrated her directing debut at Lincoln’s LampLighter Tour, staging War & Peace (2023). This project required many aspects of Design, including Costume, Lighting, Audio, Set and Props. She then danced her way through November as Costume Designer and Dresser for Hamilton Theatre Inc.’s production of Fun Home (2023). 

Emily wrapped up her 2023 year supporting the next generation of theatre performers as Assistant Stage Manager for Linus Hand Productions’ staging of Descendants (2023) and Set/Prop Artist for In The House With Nobody Else (2023) for the Hamilton Children's Choir holiday show.

She hopes to work more on musical theatre and dance projects in her 2024 season, and she is always excited to try new things wherever the wind takes her. Wherever she does end up, she aims to provide a safe, inclusive environment for people of all identities to thrive onstage and off, prioritizing representation, communication and support. 

Personal Philosophy:

Emily’s end goal with every project is to help create a sense of magic onstage. She believes every element in theatre comes together with a goal of creating a seamless escape for the audience to be transported to. She loves exploring the boundaries of art with original unique designs, ideas and unconventional materials. 

It brings her endless amounts of joy to add in small details to her work that the audience may never see, but that bring the characters to life. Some of her favourites from Fun Home include: a map print on the inside of college-aged Alison’s jacket (nodding to her map assignment as a kid and her later song reflecting this memory as an adult), and a pair of real Dungarees for small Alison, worn after her show stopping “Ring of Keys” number in which she looks up to an “old school Butch”, mentioning that brand specifically. She loves to engage with and stay true to the source material, simultaneously pushing the boundaries of what characters’ costumes can do for them and how they can help the actors be transformed on stage. 

Emily is always and continuously learning and looks forward to doing so throughout her career. Everyday is a good day while working in the arts and doing what she loves. She believes that everyone deserves an escape from their reality when they come to the theatre, and if she can help someone obtain that, her work will be successful.