Theatre Artist
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Additional skills of mine include stage combat, radio theatre, scenic painting, costume design, stage makeup, box office experience (Patron Manager, Tessitura), and playwriting!
About Me
Hello!
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My name is Julia Cooke, my pronouns are she/her, and I'm a theatre artist. That artistry includes acting, singing, dancing, directing, choreographing, theatre education, intimacy coordination, front of house work, and more.
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I was born in New York City, spent the first ten years of my life in New Jersey, and then moved to central Maine where I attended Messalonskee High School. It was there that many caring mentors inspired my love of storytelling and I decided theatre would be my career.
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My journey throughout high school included high academic marks, many extra curricular activities, and intensive practice that eventually led to my acceptance at Baldwin Wallace University. While at BW I continued to earn high academic marks, participate in many extra curricular activities, and dedicate myself to intensive practice. Overall, I kept busy.
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While at BW, I had the pleasure of working with companies like Imaginos Productions, Some Theatre Company, Western Reserve Playhouse, Radio on the Lake Theatre Company, and Playhouse Square. During my summers I performed at the Maltz Performing Arts Center premiering a new opera, I was an Artistic Intern with Stonington Opera House Arts, and I worked as the Front of House/Company Manager with Theatre At Monmouth.
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During my college years I also attended the National Theatre Institute in the Fall of 2022 as part of their music theatre program. That program revolutionized how I approached my work and gave me a multitude of tools for my artistic toolbox.
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I graduated BW in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre: Acting & Directing, and minors in Music and Dance. I am so grateful for the education I received, the mentors who supported me, and the many relationships I was able to form throughout my time at BW.
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Currently, I am working as an Acting Apprentice at Florida Studio Theatre. I've gotten to perform in-house with The Velveteen Rabbit, on the road with Playmakers' Imagination Rocks, understudied their mainstage production Ugly Lies the Bone, assisted directed their holiday show Deck the Halls and assisted their Stage III production The White Chip. This apprenticeship has given me an abundance of opportunities and new experiences.
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My long term goals include working professionally as a theatre artist, traveling, moving to Chicago, obtaining my MFA in Directing, getting certified in intimacy training for theatre, and teaching.
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I am passionate about new work and contemporary stories. I am dedicated to telling female stories. I am committed to creating artistic rooms where everyone feels safe and heard.
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Besides my artistic work, family is everything to me. My household consists of a single mother, my grandmother, and my twin brother. I am an animal lover, a nature lover, and a huge foodie. You can almost always find me waitressing as a side hustle.
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Please reach out if you want to learn more about me!
Directing Mission Statement
As a young director, I continue to learn, grow, and develop my style through every theatrical experience I encounter. In my career thus far, I find myself drawn to contemporary realism, plays that speak truth to the human experience and the central themes that connect us all together: life, love, friendship, pain, death, and hope. My style focuses on intimate character development and engagement, crafting people that all differ in perspectives, experiences, trauma, victories, and opinions-- people that are wholey human.
Core Principles:
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Every person in my rehearsal room should feel safe and heard. I will not tolerate any hate, bullying, or disrespect. I will honor people's individual boundaries, and work to make everyone comfortable, even when tackling uncomfortable topics.
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Actors and directors were created for collaboration. Everyone has a different voice to bring to the table, and I want to hear it. However, keeping in mind that the director's perspective bridges together all aspects of the craft, and it is their duty to make decisions that benefit the whole. The importance I place on collaboration extends to my work with designers and craftspeople in the theatre space.
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I believe in clear, constant, and effective communication throughout the rehearsal and production process, and expect the same of the people I am working with.
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As a director, I work to uncover the truth in each performance. Every character should live truthfully in their given circumstances. That truth is created through trust, the ability to take risks, and everyone's commitment to the story. That truth is conveyed through a focused lens for which the audience should be able to look through, explore, and discover.
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Overall, a director, as all theatre artists, are storytellers. I wish to communicate and convey meaningful stories to those around me, and hopefully inspire more empathy within our world.