When Madeleine Martin was a child, she staged puppet shows behind a small wooden theater with red curtains. Her brothers gave blunt reviews, but she kept writing and performing anyway.
That persistence and imagination carried her from living room skits to Broadway, television, animation, and now to Florida State University, where she teaches performance in the School of Theatre.
“I fell in love with the premise first, and then doing my own puppet shows,” Martin said. “There’s a quote by C.S. Lewis that says, ‘Reason gets us to truth, but imagination gets you to a meaning.’ My father was a philosophy professor, and I think I’ve always been interested in how we can lead a meaningful life. I find that the artistic creations are one way I have any choice in life.”
Inside the College of Fine Arts, the School of Theatre is recognized nationally for its outstanding acting, theatre and music theatre programs. Her résumé includes Emmy Award-winning television, voice work in popular animation and roles on Broadway.
She often shares with her students the sense of community that has grounded her in a competitive industry.
“I started in theater, and that was always my first love,” Martin said. “Then I somehow fell into animation and television. But one unifying thread has always been that sense of artistic community and belonging. I think it’s my favorite part of acting and teaching – they both fuel each other.”
FSU’s talented students in the School of Theatre get a chance to be mentored by someone who has appeared in shows like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Hemlock Grove,” “Criminal Minds” and several more. Most recently, she voiced the lead role in the HBO Max animated series “Fionna & Cake.”
Playing the lead voiceover role of Fionna Campbell on the show, Martin explores a character who experiences growth over time and overcomes her own flaws to find purpose.
“Fionna is honestly my favorite character I’ve ever played,” Martin added. “She’s somebody who thrives on adventure and jumping into challenges and has a keen sense of that code of honor that she operates by. It’s been such a rich character to play.”
As part of the show’s cast, Martin will appear on a panel at New York Comic Con from Oct. 9-12. The annual pop culture convention is a major stage for cast members to connect with their fans.
“Comic Con has kind of been my dream since I started working in animation,” Martin said. “It’s such a festival of the imagination, and the support of the artistic community. To be up there with the castmates and the creators of the show…It’s something I’m really excited about.”
“Comic Con has kind of been my dream since I started working in animation. It’s such a festival of the imagination, and the support of the artistic community.”
– Madeleine Martin, Assistant Director of Performance
After earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in Performance Creation from York University in Toronto, Martin accepted a teaching position at FSU. The academic and artistic environment in Tallahassee has provided opportunities to participate in collaborative curricula and exchange ideas with students.
Her research explores the methods of vocal coach Kristen Linklater, focusing on how releasing physical tension can free an actor’s voice for more authentic expression. As someone in voiceover acting who has played many different characters, these lessons become extremely valuable.
“For example, what goes into voicing a squirrel?” Martin asked. “What’s the psychology for a human being to get into that? It’s a really useful idea in my reading and research to be able to bring that into the students and have them apply it.”
Martin appreciates that her area of research offers a distinct perspective.
“When people think of a university and research, you think of the sciences,” Martin said. “How cool is that to see the artistic side of research and how important it is to what you might do as an actor?”
Familiar with college campuses as the daughter of two college professors, Martin feels at home at FSU. Inspired by themes that famous director John Hughes would explore in films like “The Breakfast Club” and “Sixteen Candles,” she is driven to positively impact the lives of the students she mentors at one of their most crucial stages in life.
“I was always crazy about John Hughes movies and how he was really interested in people at that age in life where they’re 18 to 22 years old,” Martin added. “Who am I going to be and where do I belong and what’s going to be important to me?
“That’s the most exciting part of teaching. Being around people at that age and being alongside them while they’re figuring out where they want to go.”