Anna Bailey
While at Emory & Henry, Anna Bailey could be called the go-to girl. She frequently performed in roles on stage and worked diligently in the scene shop and her classes. All that work led to success for Bailey upon graduation. She has consistently worked in regional theatre and film/ Just recently, she was nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play by Broadway World. She has also performed in regional commercials, and the past summer saw her cast in the world premiere of the musical “Gathering Blue” based on Lois Lowry’s “The Giver” trilogy at the historic Gretna Playhouse. Bailey is currently performing in a Christmas comedic play “Guess whose coming to Christmas Dinner” at Rainbow’s Comedy Dinner Theatre.
In reference to how EHC helped her, Bailey notes, “Emory & Henry taught me how to thrive where I am. Going into college, I wanted to go to the Name-brand school. Although Emory wasn’t the huge State school I had dreamed of, it was exactly where I needed to be. I thrived there. When I graduated, I was immediately working professionally and did the whole “NYC” thing. Of course life happened a year into it and I found myself moving to Pennsylvania. I was terrified that it meant I would never work again, or at least I’d never get paid to anyway. I thought it meant the end of my professional acting life. But through perseverance and a whole lot of luck, I have been able to thrive once again off the beaten path. Emory & Henry gave me the know-how and the desire to make art, wherever I may be. Whether its Southwest Virginia, New York City, or Central Pennsylvania, Emory & Henry and the wonderful teachers there guided me to grow and ask for more of myself as a person, a citizen and an artist.”
At the start of the new year, Bailey will begin working as an artist in residence in the local school districts teaching playwriting and creative writing to children between 7th-12th grade through Gretna Playhouse. She also has another commercial and print job that will begin circulating in February, which was shot earlier this year.
Open gallery
The theatre at Emory & Henry gave way for me to hone my skills as an actress and as a professional, and the opportunity to make lifelong companionships with some of the greatest artists there are.