Assistant Professor - Acting Assistant Professor - ActingHead of Undergraduate Performance
Emily J. Mattison is the Head of Undergraduate Performance and Assistant Professor of Acting for the department. Born and raised in central Maryland, she received her BA in Theatre Performance from Susquehanna University (minoring in Psychology and Dance) and her MFA in Theatre Performance Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University. Additionally, Emily studied at Stella Adler Studio of Acting and The Michael Chekhov Association. The Adler and Chekhov techniques are the core tenets of her work both inside and outside the classroom.
Between undergraduate and graduate school, Emily worked as an actor and teaching artist in Philadelphia, PA. While in Philly, she worked with companies such as Walnut Street Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and Wolf Performing Arts Center. At VCU, she primarily teaches second-year Acting and Audition Technique however, has also taught Professional Preparedness, Special Topics: Adler Technique, Special Topics: Theatre Education, and oversaw The First Year Directing Project. As a consent-forward certified artist through Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, she strives to create a classroom space that promotes communication, structure, and equitable practices and encourages students to have autonomy in their training.