Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Reeves.
Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
While growing up, my family was heavily involved in the arts. My dad, grandpa, and uncle were all music educators, and everyone else played an instrument. I grew up going to the symphony and seeing the theatre. I took dance classes from a very young age and was performing in school plays by first grade. The arts have always been in my blood, so it’s no surprise I ended up working in the Entertainment Field. I double majored in Theatre and Mass Communications in college but spent little time on the Mass Comm projects. I always thought of it as a backup plan. During the Spring Semester of my Sophomore year, I came to Orlando for the Disney College Program, which was a pivotal thing in my life. I graduated with my dual degrees in the Winter of 2005 and then returned to Orlando for a second college program after graduation (glutton for punishment!). After that, I moved to NYC for a Stage Management Internship at The Juilliard School and stayed based out of NYC for the next 4ish years working in theater. I made some small tours and a cruise ship contract as a stage manager and worked a million part-time jobs to make ends meet. It was wild but so much fun. However, I always felt like my heart had remained in Orlando, and in 2010 I decided to move down here. I was young and didn’t have a plan, so I floundered for a year. I picked up shifts at Disney, pearl dove at SeaWorld, was a personal assistant, and worked a couple of shows at the Rep (which I adored!), but nothing was quite sticking.
Then, in the Spring of 2011, I got a call from Cirque du Soleil with a job offer out of Las Vegas. I have done several TYA (Theatre for Youth Audiences) gigs. Because of that and my Stage Management experience, I was brought to The Beatles LOVE show as the Child Artistic Coordinator. The show had 7 child artists ranging from 7-10 years old. We had 4 of them perform each night, and I was their everything, guardian, coach, stage manager, dresser, etc. To this day is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had. From there, I transitioned “O” by Cirque du Soleil as a Stage Manager. That was such a wonderful experience. That show, cast, and crew were truly inspiring. I stayed there for over 3 years and then had the opportunity to work on a new project with Cirque. We were piloting a new corporate training program. I was an event designer/producer creating programs for top corporations like MasterCard, Facebook, NHL, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, etc. I learned so much in that position.
In 2018, I had my first baby, and we decided that Vegas was probably not where we felt comfortable raising a family. I, again, felt drawn to come back to Orlando. In early 2019, I landed a management job with Disney Entertainment, and we found our way back to Orlando. However, less than a year into my Disney job, Covid hit, and the parks closed. While we were all on leave, I was approached with another job opportunity that was too exciting to pass, and that’s where I am today. I work for a company called Action Horizons, where I am the Global Creative Director. We are a stunt production company designing and producing stunts for film, television, and live shows. We currently operate 8 shows in 5 major theme parks in 4 countries. We have creative teams on each show that I work with to oversee our show quality. I’m also responsible for overseeing global casting efforts, branding, marketing, sponsorships, and many other cool things. We are a smaller company with a global reach and working on high-profile projects with many more in the works. It’s an intense but enjoyable and satisfying gig. I also had a second baby in the Fall of 2021, and being a working mom of 2 is no friggin joke!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
You know, I can’t say there have been any major hiccups along the way, but I will say that I have worked my butt off to be where I am. It’s not easy to make a career in the entertainment industry in any capacity, and those who do, have generally hustled to make it. There were many times when I was young and working 5 jobs to keep doing what I loved. Another challenge of the live entertainment industry is the transient nature of show life. Prior to working for Cirque du Soleil, most of my jobs were just a few months long at max. So you show up, work your ass off, get close with your team, and then it’s all over quickly, and you do it all again. It’s a weird thing, but it has allowed me to have people I’m close with all over the world, and it’s made me someone who can be super flexible and get comfortable quickly.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
I’ve been a performer, stage manager, coach, director, stilt walker, theme park entertainment manager, event producer, casting director, etc. I work for Action Horizons company, where I am the Global Creative Director. We are a stunt production company designing and producing stunts for film, television, and live shows. We currently operate 8 shows in 5 major theme parks in 4 countries. We have creative teams on each show that I work with to oversee our show quality. I’m also responsible for overseeing global casting efforts, branding, marketing, sponsorships, and many other cool things. We are a smaller company with a worldwide reach and working on high-profile projects with many more in the works. I’m proud of being a woman leader in a male-dominated industry (stunts). I’m constantly working to identify ways for gender equality in our shows and our field.
What was you like growing up?
A giant dork and very dramatic, I was always dressing up, putting on terrible shows at home, and forcing my parents to watch them. I even remember bringing a box of dress-up clothes to school one day in elementary school. And then, there was a project in middle school where we had to read a biography and then give a book report as if we were that person. I did mine on Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina. I borrowed this costume from my dance studio from Swan Lake. It had this enormous tutu and headpiece; I had blocked in my book report. I mean, it was ridiculous! Other than that, I was always busy. I was a pretty social kid and always involved in something. I was on the swim team from 6-18, in dance from about the same ages, and school plays, band, cheerleading, drama club, and National Honors society, all the things. My family was small but close and incredibly supportive. I would not be where I am today without that support.
