Source: Observer/Eccentric

Author: Aileen Wingblad / John Stormzand

Emma Feeheley will give up her Miss Farmington title in July but is gaining a new one, Miss Texas — sort of.

The 17-year-old Mercy High School junior has landed a role in the independent film, Crowning Jules, produced by Miles Media. Her part, "Miss Texas," is expected to take about a week to film this summer in Indiana.

Emma said her friends, twin sisters Jacqueline and Elizabeth Labadie of Farmington Hills — who are active in the film industry — encouraged her to try out for the movie. The two girls, North Farmington High School students, are cast in the lead roles of Crowning Jules.

With no acting experience, Emma said she initially decided to audition for the part "just for fun" and the experience. So on a cold and foggy morning a few weeks ago, her mom, Sarah Evangelista, and she made the 3-hour trip to the audition in Le Grange, Ind. They headed out at about 4:30 a.m.

"Emma slept — she 'sawed logs' the whole way," Evangelista said, laughing.

Emma was up against about 500 others auditioning, but she put on a Texas accent — and one of her pageant gowns — and gave it her best shot.

Days later, the good news came. "I got home from school and noticed there was a voice mail with a weird area code," she said. After listening, "I started screaming...I didn't know who to call (first)...it was so exciting," she said.

At the time of her interview with the Farmington Observer last Monday, Emma's script hadn't yet arrived so she wasn't sure what she'd gotten herself into when accepting the role — but neither she nor her mom anticipate any problems.

"And the cool part is she gets to do a dance montage (in the film)," Evangelista said. Dance is one of her daughter's passions, she noted, from hip hop to pointe to tap to jazz. "Everything but ballroom," she said.

Emma hopes to eventually become a professional dance coach, and plans to attend college next year in California where her father lives.

More acting roles could be in her future, Emma said, and if they come her way she'll pursue some training. But for now, she's keeping busy enough with school, her Miss Farmington duties, charity work, dance lessons/competitions, a weekend job at Cowley's & Sons pub — and maybe ekes out some time for a social life.

"I nap a lot," Emma said, grinning.

Emma gives her months as Miss Farmington some credit for her landing the role inCrowning Jules.

"I Iearned how to walk into a room, present myself before judges, be in different settings ... I think Miss Farmington helped me a lot with the movie audition," she said.

Once production is complete, Crowning Jules will have two premieres, one in the South Bend, Ind. area and the other in Michigan, but the dates and locations haven't yet been set.

"I don't really know what to expect, but I'm excited to see what will happen," Emma said, "to see how successful this turns out."

Crowning Jules is a Kickstarter project. More information.