According to her online resume, Emma Flynn ʼ15 is an “energetic, overly-friendly, highly-caffeinated, New York City based performer.” All true, but she also has an amazing work ethic, to which she gives Derryfield full credit. The verve and determination she gleaned at DS recently catapulted her from a short acting hiatus directly into the starring role of Cher, in the musical adaptation of Clueless at the Churchill Theatre Bromley in London in February of 2024.
Flynn says she fell in love with acting as a young, impressionable, audience member at a Derryfield production. “After that show, I begged my parents to let me apply—I wanted to go to Derryfield and be one of those actors on the stage.”
From Derryfield, she matriculated at the Hartt School of Music, a performing arts conservatory at the University of Hartford. Beginning her freshman year, she attended auditions during every school break in order to attain a summer theater internship.
“I traveled to auditions in New York, Boston and Chicago, working to secure a summer stock role. I was determined to build my acting resume so I could eventually land roles post-college.”
After graduating in May 2019 with a BFA in musical theater, Flynn signed with The Roster Agency and moved to New York City, then the world swiftly shut down. But this disappointment was balanced by joyful moments, like her February 2021 engagement to Carl Bespolka. Flynn credits her marriage partnership with giving her the solid foundation she needed to take a chance at a big opportunity.
When asked to reflect on her “take-away” from her time at Derryfield, Flynn talked about her experiences in the classroom:
“When I was in (public) middle school, I was afraid to speak up in class. Because the class size at Derryfield is so intimate, and expressing one’s opinion is encouraged, I gained confidence. I employ the critical thinking skills I gained at Derryfield every time I am in a new stage production.”
