Emily M. Shaffer is a Theatre Maker based in Bloomsburg, PA who frequently engages with playwriting, directing, dramaturgy, and acting. They will graduate from Commonwealth University- Bloomsburg with their BA in Theatre Arts on May 17th , 2025, and will continue their education in the fall pursuing their MFA in Playwriting. Shaffer is a member of the Dramatists Guild and LMDA and frequently posts their playwriting work to their New Play Exchange. Emily is a New Play Development enthusiast through and through, having participated in 7 processes as a dramaturg, director, playwright, and performer. They enjoy putting the playwright and their play at the center of any new play development work, making sure to nurture the play in the way the playwright needs. The exploratory environment that is cultivated provides playwrights with a safety net, allowing them to try anything, and it’s a particular factor of New Play Development that Shaffer loves. Shaffer strives to highlight the values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging through their playwriting, creating characters that can be played by anyone. The gender binary is often obsolete in the worlds they create. Theatre is an inviting and accepting community, and Emily is working to continue that through their storytelling, specifically with their writing. Emily often writes about things paranormal, with the most recent being Zarp, an alien from the planet Vline, crashing their ship on Earth. Growing up watching Dr. Who and seeing every Marvel movie known to man, they’ve grown a love for all things science fiction. To learn more about Emily M. Shaffer, please visit emilymshaffer.com.