Emma Y. Lai is a playwright, new works director, and producer.
Photography by Minwoo Kim
Current projects include:
Lead Producing Lakecastle by Isabella Dawis, directed by Desdemona Chiang, a new investigative podcast and live solo performance.
Writing the book for Locust, a new horror musical, with music and lyrics by Hannah Bakke. Locust was originally commissioned and developed by Trademark Theater, Tyler Michaels King, Artistic Director, in St. Paul, MN.
Recent projects include:
Producing the National New Play Network’s 2025 Showcase for their National Conference of New Plays
Directing the world premiere of When You Trap A Tiger by Katie Hae Leo, an adaption of the Newbery Award winning children’s novel by Tae Keller, at Theatre Mu/Stages Theatre Company (MN)
Other directing/associating credits include: devoured: notes on love and enmeshment by Liqing Xu (The Southern Theatre/Playwrights’ Center), a workshop of Yellow Mirrors by Liqing Xu (Playwrights’ Center), and assisting on Vietgone (Guthrie Theatre, dir. Mina Morita), A Christmas Carol (Guthrie Theatre, dir. Addie Gorlin-Han), and An American Tail (Childrens’ Theatre Company, dir. Taibi Magar).
She is a frequent Associate of Annie Tippe (COWBOY BOB at Alley Theatre (TX), Your Own Personal Exegesis at LCT3 at Lincoln Center, The Hombres at Two River Theatre) and Joe Chvala (Heaven with Flying Foot Forum, Pippin at the University of Minnesota).
She was a Directing Intern with Childrens’ Theatre Company, Directing Fellow with Theatre Mu, Artistic Assistant at Two River Theater, and one of four members of Theatre Mu’s Emerging Playwrights Cohort.
She is the Artistic Director/Co-Founder of Picnic Basket Theatre, which focuses on new work development and the support of emerging artists.
She is currently a member of PlayPenn’s Playwrights Cohort (2024-2025) and the Moxie Arts NY Incubator Cohort as a Producer (2025). Emma is currently attending Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama for a MFA in Dramatic Writing starting Fall 2025.