Interview: Emme Martini of THE THORN at Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis

The Thorn is coming to the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, bringing the story of Jesus to the stage through a mix of theater, dance, stunts and aerial arts. The production follows the story of Jesus from creation through his death and resurrection, with the story told from the perspective of John the Beloved.

For Emme, being part of the cast is a chance to bring together two things that have been important to her for years: her faith and her love of performing. She grew up dancing before discovering circus and aerial arts, training at North Ballet Academy and Circus Juventus in St. Paul before continuing her training in San Diego.

In The Thorn, Emme takes on several roles, including an angel and a demon, while also performing as part of the human ensemble. She also gets to put her aerial training to use onstage.

I recently talked with Emme about what drew her to The Thorn, her journey from ballet to aerial arts, what it’s like being part of such an unusual production and what she hopes audiences take away from the show.

What drew you to The Thorn, and what do you enjoy most about being part of the production?

I really just love it. It’s such a unique show. I grew up dancing, which eventually led to my passion for circus and aerial arts. The year before I joined The Thorn, I was kind of questioning, “What am I really performing for? What am I doing?” And The Thorn was just this perfect combination of my faith and my passion for movement and performance.

It really felt like the perfect opportunity and the perfect show for me. And I love the team and the show itself.

For people who may not be familiar with The Thorn, can you tell us a little bit about the show and what audiences can expect?

Yeah. The show is narrated by John the Beloved, who was the last living disciple. He tells the story from creation all the way through the resurrection of Jesus and everything that happens along the way.

We tell the story through a lot of different types of movement and disciplines. We have tricking, stunts, actors, dancers and aerialists. There’s just such a variety, so I think there really is something for everybody to enjoy.

And it’s all wrapped up in this really beautiful storytelling from our narrator.

You have several roles in the production. Can you tell us about the characters you play and what it’s like performing them?

Yeah. I play an angel and a demon, and I’m also part of the human ensemble.

One thing I think is really cool about The Thorn is that it highlights the spiritual realm, which you don’t see very often. We get to portray that in the show, and it’s really impactful and moving.

And I love it because I get to do my favorite thing, which is aerials. So I get to use that and bring it into the story in a completely different dimension.

You have a background in both dance and circus arts. How did you get started, and what was your training like?

I grew up dancing. I started at North Ballet Academy, which was strictly Vaganova-style ballet. I honestly give them so much credit for my movement quality because that was really my base.

Then I started training at Circus Juventus in St. Paul, and that’s where I really dove into circus. I initially started with silks, which is actually what I’m performing on in the show, so that’s kind of a fun full-circle moment.

Then I learned a bunch of other aerial acts, like straps, cloud swing and trapeze — all the circus things. I just completely fell in love with it.

Later, I moved out to San Diego to continue my training and spent two years training at the San Diego Circus Center. So that’s kind of my background.

What do you hope audiences take away from seeing The Thorn?

I think people in general are really hungry for truth and for something emotional that can really impact them. And I think that’s what our show does.

I hope people can walk away with a better understanding of who Jesus is — that He loves them and that He knows their name.

That’s really our whole goal: just to share that love.

Since you have a connection to Minnesota, what are some of your favorite places or hidden gems here? Any favorite spots you want to shout out?

Oh my goodness. I’ve been telling some people in the cast about this. I love Backstory Coffee Roasters in the North Loop. That place is amazing.

There are also a couple of coffee shops in Highland Park that I really like. I’m totally blanking right now.

Café Astoria is cute, too. I love that place.

Thanks Emme for your time, we look forward to having you here.

For more show and ticket information, please click the ticket link. 

Blues is photo credit Eduardo Segovia