Emma Schillage (they/them) is an award-winning Southern Gothic playwright, actor, and arts educator based in Southeast Louisiana and New York. They hold a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Loyola University New Orleans (2019) and an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Columbia University (2023).
Fascinated by the macabre from a young age, Emma’s writing incorporates elements of horror, whimsy, and teenage angst. They often write about resilience, childhood, mental illness, and the horror/wonder of growing up in the Deep South. Their work has been produced by The 24-Hour Plays: Nationals, Red Bull Theater, the cell Theatre, Breaking and Entering Theatre Co., and Southern Rep Theatre.
Their play God and Girl is a finalist for the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Their play Cockroaches was also a finalist for the O’Neill, as well as for the Austin Film Festival; it won Best Play Script at the Del Shores Foundation Writers Search, was second runner-up for the Stanley Drama Award, and was long-listed for Seattle Public Theater’s New Works Distillery. Cockroaches is currently published and available for purchase through 1319 Press.