BIO

Emma S. Rund is a Chicago-based playwright, actor and avid reader, passionate about the power of truth in storytelling. This idea is best conveyed by one of her favorite quotes: “I want you to feel what I felt. I want you to know why story truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth” from The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Emma is drawn to stories with hope and heartbreak that center complicated women. The unlikable main character shouldn’t be reserved for men. In her writing Emma also loves to explore the magic that live theatre allows. She often externalizes some internal experience onstage in a physical, magical form. She is eager to continue to learn how to flex her creative muscles and challenge them in new ways. Outside of theatre, she also enjoys expressing creativity through painting, sewing, embroidery, baking, cooking, and poetry. Emma also works in internal communications at the University of Chicago where she loves her team and enjoys trying new Hyde Park experiences and encouraging the University community to try them too.

WHAT I MAKE

I write plays primarily, but I'm also interested in poetry and visual art although visual art definitely falls into the hobby category for me.

INSPIRED BY

I find nature really inspiring! If I'm feeling stuck a walk through the park tends to unstick me. 

I also find a lot of inspiration in reading. I almost always have a book in my bag. A few very inspiring books:

- The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- Assata by Assata Shakur
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel 
- Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel
- The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 
- The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf 
- Spring by Ali Smith
(I'll put my full chest behind all these books, so if you're thinking about picking one up please do)

I'm often inspired by images. I've learned over time I'm a very visual person, so Pinterest is often where I turn for inspiration.

I'm very inspired by conversations with other people. I find myself working harder and more eagerly when I'm working with other people or side by side with other people. There's little inspiration to be found in isolation.

EXPLORING:

I'd like to work on another full-length play. I'm not sure what that play is yet, but I think I'd like to challenge myself to write something different than the plays I've already written. I have a notebook full of possible ideas, but as I'm filling out this application I'm fresh off a pretty all consuming creative project, and my brain isn't quite ready to choose the next project.