Academic Plans
- 1st Major Biology (BS)
- 2nd Major Theater Studies (AB)
Emi Hegarty is a senior from central Oregon double majoring in Biology and Theater Studies. In her time at Duke, she has acted in five Mainstage plays and you may recognize her from Eurydice (Eurydice), Twelfth Night (Viola/Fight Captain), She Kills Monsters (Farrah/Narrator/Fight Captain), Life Is a Dream (Rosaura), and Medea (Nurse). This past year has been especially exciting as she searched to merge her knowledge of biology with her passion for theater in her Theater Studies distinction project entitled “Biology, Movement, and Theater.” In this project, she looked to apply Jakob von Uexküll’s Umwelt, a biological theory interested in organismal world view, to Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice through embodied movement and character work. She would like to extend the greatest gratitude to her father for sparking her love for theater, her mother for her unconditional support, and the entire Theater Studies department for fostering a space where she could pursue her sometimes grandiose dreams. After graduation, she plans to return to the west coast for some much-needed rest and recuperation before applying for MFAs in acting.
2024 Graduation with Highest Distinction in Theater Studies
Biology, Movement, and Theater: Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice explored through Umwelt and Embodiment
Supervised by Professor Darren Gobert
https://stories.duke.edu/when-curiosity-becomes-research
https://theaterstudies.duke.edu/news/using-biology-build-characters-world
Focus Program
- Genetics and Genomics: Epigenetics, Environment, and Ethics
Awards
- 2024 Louis B. Sudler Prize in the Creative Arts and Performing Arts (Duke Arts)
- 2024 John M. Clum Distinguished Theater Studies Graduate Award
- 2024 Theater Studies Award for Excellence in Acting
Study Away
- 2022 Summer Duke Aix-en-Provence
Mainstage Productions
- 2020 Citizen – Assistant Director
- 2021 Medea – Nurse
- 2022 Life is a Dream – Rosaura
- 2022 She Kills Monsters – Narrator/Farrah/Fight Captain
- 2023 Twelfth Night - Viola
- 2024 Eurydice – Eurydice (Distinction)