emily lyon
director & story editor
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I work with writers and storytellers to help them problem-solve, brainstorm, and maximize impact to their ideas. As an editor, my first step is always to consult with you on where the heart of the piece is going and your goals – and support you in bringing that intention front and center.
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Sound helpful?
Reach out to me above for a quote & initial conversation.
TESTIMONIALS
"Emily is an invaluable resource in any room:
a clear-eyed and insightful human being, who is always
looking to connect the craft with wider social issues.
She is going to do great things in this world
- a wonderful collaborator on any project!"
- KATE HAMILL, one of the most produced playwrights in America
worked with her on Sense & Sensibility, Vanity Fair, The Little Fellow
"Emily’s dramaturgical work on my play BLACK DOVES
not only helped me become an award-winning playwright, it got me a literary agent.
Her insight into text is unparalleled and I can’t recommend her enough!"
- REYNALDO PINIELLA, winner of the Thomas Barbour Award
worked with him on Black Doves
"My time developing In the Southern Breeze with Emily Lyon
was a period of immense growth for the play.
What Emily specializes in is exactly what so many playwrights must have:
a director with a giant heart for feeling the core of a play,
even bigger ears for close listening to a writer,
and chiefly a strong vision for executing a project’s full potential.
Every playwright should be should be so lucky to have Emily’s confident and caring approach for their work."
- MANSA RA, writer of Too Heavy for Your Pocket and on NBC's "New Amsterdam"
worked with on In the Southern Breeze
"Emily is an invaluable resource for the playwright.
I have hired her to consult with me on three different projects
over the past three years; and she's had a tremendous positive impact
on each of my plays through her thoughtful suggestions,
questions, and encouragement.
Because Emily is a director as well as a dramaturg,
she has developed a strong intuitive sense of how things will play.
With my first script in particular, she helped me learn to leave room for the other, nonverbal modes of theatrical storytelling.
Something else I appreciate about Emily's advice is the sensitivity that she always shows to the politics of a work. She values nuance, feminism, and humor, and she's great at teasing out the story behind the story
-- helping a writer think through the implications of their piece.
Emily helps answer the question,
"Why this play now?"
I am so grateful to have worked with Emily Lyon as a dramaturg
and I absolutely recommend her."
- SARAH ROSE KEARNS
worked with her on Persuasion, Manydown, Galatea