About Emma

Emma Denson is a London-based director and writer of theatre. Her practice centers on international, intercultural, and intergenerational projects. Born and raised in Alabama, Emma moved to NYC in 2020, to the couch of a Hungarian director. From there, Emma curated a body of work alongside her frequent collaborators, primarily international artists from Ireland, Italy, and Ukraine.

There is a form of Japanese art, Kintsugi, that has become the thesis of her directing practice. It’s created when an artist mends broken pottery, resealing the cracks with a gold or silver lacquer. The cracks aren’t meant to disappear, nor is the piece intended to pass as its former self. Instead, the beauty of this new form lies in the imperfection of the cracks themselves. Her plays challenge audiences to reframe what it means to confront our flaws: not to fear it, but to view it as an essential process to positive change. Amidst the messiness of humanity, transformation is still possible.

Specializations

EMMA’S CREATIVE WORK primarily lives in the intersection of theatre and activism. Whether it’s the incorporation of gender studies (her work is decidedly feminist) into her practice, or directly collaborating with the communities represented in her plays, Emma directs plays that are created with our nation’s, and our world’s, most pressing issues in mind.

Physicality and imaginative freedom are two other pillars to her process, and they are equally important. Emma aspires to awaken the audience’s inner sense of play.

For Emma’s Assistant Directing page, click here.

To preview Emma’s scenic portfolio, click here.