Dramaturgy & Consulting

I am a dramaturg and enjoy working on both production oriented research and public facing materials.
As a consultant, I work with a variety of cultural organizations to provide workshops, educational tools, and guest lectures.

  • Dramaturgy for New Play/ Musical Development


    I have served as the dramaturg for many plays and musicals, with a variety of collaborators, in all stages of development. I have provided research, assistance with structure, and revisions throughout the initial staged reading and workshop performances.

  • Dramaturgy for Revivals

    I provide detailed and thorough research for revivals of plays and musicals in both professional and academic theatre settings. This service includes a variety of tools and services; clients can choose from a menu of options including a dramaturgy packet, visits to rehearsals, a multi-media slide show and corresponding presentation, creation of pre or post show discussions, curating of guest speakers for talkbacks, writing of marketing materials, and more!

  • Public Facing Dramaturgy

    I am excited by public facing dramaturgy that invites audiences to engage with a deeper understanding of the given stories in a production. I have collaborated with a Broadway production, academic departments, and cultural organizations to create dramaturgy that enhances the audience experience through careful research turned into materials that provide connection between the spectator and the theatre.

  • Cultivating New Musicals

    I believe in fostering new musicals. I am dedicated to my work with the communities of artists making new musicals in New York City. I direct and offer developmental dramaturgy to many artists, usually staging two-to-three new musical readings or workshops a year. I work with several cultural organizations to assist with their new musicals program, including offering workshops for the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and serving as an expert panelist/respondent during their “Across a Crowded Room” new musical incubator. I created and curate the new musical series, Overtures, at Gallery players, where we have helped to develop musicals that have gone on to have full productions and become licensable.

  • Intimacy Direction

    I currently serve as the intimacy director for many of the mainstage productions of the Music and Performing Arts Professions Department at NYU Steinhardt. In addition, I have done freelance intimacy direction for individual productions in small theaters throughout New York City.

  • Consulting - Pedagogy & Practice

    I am available as a consultant to assist with pedagogy development, research, season selection, and accessibility practice. I am also available as a guest speaker and will create a lecture crafted for your specific audience. I have served as a consultant for several cultural organizations such as the Museum of Broadway, and the Wildlife Conservation Society / Prospect Park Zoo, and the Jewish Woman’s Archive.

Examples of Consulting Work

Lobby Display for the Broadway Revival of Funny Girl

I researched and curated the lobby display about the history of Fanny Brice and the Ziegfeld Follies, This included framing the context of the narrative, ensuring to include Fanny Brice’s contemporaries such as the Nicholas Brothers and Buck and Bubbles, to ensure an inclusive historical framework. I wrote the captions, ensuring that they provided context and proper attribution/citation. I worked with a team for the installation of the work into the theatre to facilitate the ideal audience experience.

The curation of images was done in collaboration with Doug Reside (New York Public Library of the Performing Arts). Additional materials provided by Eric Colleary at The Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

Educator Guide for the Museum of Broadway

I created a comprehensive guide for K-12 teachers that connects the time spent in the museum to classroom lessons.
The guide offers structured pre-visit discussions, post-visit lessons and projects, and resources for teachers. The educator guide helps teachers to facilitate a carefully designed learning experience that connects the history of Broadway to current learning goals and curricular content. Just as Broadway enriches the cultural experience of New York City, the Museum of Broadway strives to enrich the cultural experience of K-12 classrooms.

Overtures, a New Musical Reading and Workshop Series

I created Overtures in 2014 to support the development of new musicals. Each year, I curate a selection of new musicals to receive staged readings/ workshop productions at the Gallery Players theater. At Overtures, you can hear it here first!

“It was clear from my very first encounter with director Barrie Gelles: she truly loves theater artists. I was honored to receive a reading in the inaugural year of Overtures, and I am thrilled to be back with Emma this fall. Gallery Players deftly handles all the logistics so the writers can focus on the work. A generosity of spirit abounds, from the directors to the cast, and I am immensely grateful for the time, talent, space, and support to develop this new musical; it is a rare gift.” – Sarah Taylor Ellis, composer – EMMA (2015)

Please visit the Overtures webpage on the Gallery Players website for a complete list of staged readings/ workshop productions of new musicals that I have produced through Overtures.

Contact me if you would like to work together.

If you are interested in collaborating and have questions about my consultation services, please feel free to contact me.