Hi! Glad you’re here. Let’s get to know each other.

I’m a theater professional based in the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

Resumes

About Me

I am a German-American playwright, stage manager, and theatre educator currently based in Minneapolis, MN, and originally from Grayslake, IL. I hold a B.A. in Music Theatre & English from Carthage College, and primarily work in stage management, box office/house management, substitute teaching, and teaching artist roles across the Twin Cities. My plays have appeared in readings/workshops nationwide, as well as in educational productions.

In 2026, I plan to pursue a Masters’ degree in Theater Education.

In my free time, I love to dabble in the following hobbies and pursuits: cooking with and without a recipe, baking, collaging greeting cards, painting, writing non-plays, being outdoors, screaming into the void, taking beach trips, hosting dinner parties, spending time with my partner and friends, teasing my cat, sending letters, drinking coffee, and traveling to locales close and far.

PLAYWRITING:

Current projects include:

  • [Untitled]: Two-act musical taking place in 1911 around the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City. Poignant lesbian love story with undertones of rebellion, discovery, and survival. Music by Joseph Voth.

  • Motherland, Homeland: Two-act play taking place in 1776 Philadelphia, in which six revolutionary women struggle to write their own Declaration of Independence before the men in their lives can write their own and codify the suppression of women. Part comedy, part drama.

  • The Vacation: One-act play taking place in Post-Roe v. Wade Chicago. The lives of two married women are upended when a stranger from Texas shows up to take shelter at their apartment while having an abortion performed in Chicago. The catch? Only one of the wives knew she was coming.

Samples of Emma’s plays can also be found on the New Play Exchange (NPX) at https:// .org/users/47855/emma-swain.

STAGE MANAGEMENT

Emma is a Non-AEA stage manager who especially thrives in ASM roles and focuses on educational theater settings. Paperwork samples can be found on her Stage Management page.

Recent credits/current projects include:

  • Stage Manager & Youth Educator: Alice by Heart, Blue Water Theater Company, 2025

  • Assistant Stage Manager: The Gin Game, Park Square Theater, 2025

  • Second Assistant Stage Manager: Rudolph, Stages Theater Company, 2024

  • Stage Manager: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Sidekick Theater, 2024