Anne Hamilton/Hamilton Dramaturgy

Here is my latest Bucks County Womens Journal article. Download it Anne Hamilton’s BCWJ Profile of Genne Murphy.

Profile of Genne Murphy

By Anne M. Hamilton, MFA

Genne Murphy is a rising star in the theatre world. Her plays have been developed or produced in Nebraska, Colorado, New York and Connecticut as well as locally. The Azuka Theatre produced HOPE STREET AND OTHER LONELY PLACES.

Recently, she was honored with the Leah Ryan Fund for Emerging Women Writer’s Award for her play GIANTESS at the Lilly Awards, hosted at the Signature Theater in New York City. The Lilly Awards celebrate significant contributions by women to the American theatre, including 2016 honorees Danai Gurira, Jesse Mueller and Martha Plimpton.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Murphy has been deeply involved as a writer and arts educator since graduating from Central High. Her many local awards and affiliations include the Philadelphia Young Playwrights, PlayPenn, and the Leeway Foundation Transformation Award/Art and Change Grant.

Originally, she says, the idea for GIANTESS came in a dream: “I was trying to pour water into a tiny glass and it was really annoying. Then all of a sudden I realized, ‘OMG I’m a giant!’ I panicked, woke up. [The dream] really stuck with me–that idea of being so discombobulated and feeling extremely uncomfortable in your body. I thought there were a lot of interesting metaphors to explore.”

Described by the Leah Ryan FEWW program as having, “truly singular and theatrical voice,” Murphy will workshop her play with a few closed-door readings at Primary Stages in New York City and New York Stage and Film before the Fund presents a full public reading in the fall.

“GIANTESS starts with a young woman who is taking care of her ailing, disabled grandmother,” says Murphy. “Early on in the play she discovers a girl her own age in the abandoned factory behind her grandmother’s house – a 30-foot tall giantess. They develop a deepening connection to one another in this very fraught and heightened situation.”

Reflecting on her time with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, she states, “My experience, [as] a student, educator, and staff member enabled the idea of revision – the actual work of revision – to be a less scary prospect.”

She holds a bachelor’s degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is currently an M.F.A. candidate in playwriting at the Yale School of Drama.

Anne Hamilton has 25 years of experience as a dramaturg. She is available for script consultations and career advising through hamiltonlit@hotmail.com.