Emma Goldman-Sherman

(Updated 1/10/22) Emma Goldman-Sherman is a neuro-divergent, gender-dysphoric, invisibly disabled, queer feminist who believes in the power of theatre to create healing and agency in audiences. Her/their plays have been produced on 4 continents and named finalists at BAPF, Henley Rose, Bridge Initiative, Campfire, Unicorn (3x), and Cutting Ball (3x) and published by Brooklyn Publishers, Next Stage Press, Smith Scripts (UK), Applause, and Smith & Kraus. She/they earned an MFA from the University of Iowa where she/they received the Richard Maibaum Award for plays addressing social justice (Antigone's Sister) and the Jane Chambers Award (Perfect Women) in the student division from ATHE. Podcasts of her/their work are available at TheParsnipShip.com and PlayingonAir.org. Residencies at Millay, Ragdale and WordBridge. Member: Dramatists Guild, LMDA, Honor Role. She has taught for University of Iowa, Great Plains Theatre Conference, Alliance of Jewish Theatres, New York Writers Workshop, Goddard-Riverside, NYPL, Andrew Glover Youth, Prison Writes and others. More information at the newplayexchange.com. Emma runs www.BraveSpace.online to support all kinds of creative people. 

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
https://www.bravespace.online
https://newplayexchange.org/users/1088/emma-goldman-sherman

FB: https://www.facebook.com/emma.goldmansherman
TW: @EmmaGSherman
IG: Emmaintheatre

MORE ABOUT ME
Gratifying moments - I always think back to the time I was teaching at the University of Iowa and a young man in one of my classes was stalking another student of mine. She had to get an order of protection against him. I had to offer exams in separate rooms at separate times. My play Antigone's Sister was produced there at this time. Afterwards he said that the play caused him to realize that he had some issues to look at, and he apologized to her from an appropriate distance. She later said he never bothered her again. In spite of the fact that none of my full-length plays to date have ever been professionally produced, whenever I'm able to present Why Birds Fly, WHORTICULTURE, TAMAR, or FUKT, people have stood up afterwards in talk-backs and spoken aloud for the first time that they too were sexually abused or assaulted, that the play has inspired them to speak, to feel empowered, to acknowledge their own experiences and survival. People have spoken about leaving their shame behind and feeling whole again. People have spoken about letting go of their judgment against victims and against themselves. People have also been able to ask for help. If I could bring change to theatre, it would be to democratize what gets produced to move the culture forward. Theatres that accept public funds should answer to the public and represent the actual public on their stages by whom they hire to work there. Revivals should be limited so that un-produced plays can be seen. There is so much work deserving of production - we must band together to work to change the way plays are chosen to be produced and how they are produced with equity, diversity and inclusion as a top priority. 

WHAT I'M WORKING ON
I am trying to find ways to use my experience and my language skills to create the most necessary, honest and meaningful work for the stage that I would want to see if I felt confused or lost or alone. 

KEYWORDS
Fierce, bold, brave, queer, feminist, political, immersive, psychological, formally innovative and challenging.