About Emily Claire Schmitt

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I claimed my first mystical experience at seven years old. I informed my parents that my recently-deceased great grandmother was visiting my bedroom each night and sitting in my rocking chair. I was lying, but the story served to ease my grief - and that of my parents. Since then, I have continued to search for healing through story-telling as a playwright. I earned my BA in Theatre and Philosophy from Saint Mary’s College, where I became obsessed with early Enlightenment philosopher Baruch Spinoza. After moving to New York, I completed my MFA in Playwriting at The New School for Drama, where I became obsessed with the controversial Pope Pius XII. These duel fascinations gave rise to the plays Spinoza's Ethics and The Chalice. In total, I am the author of eight full-length plays and one musical. My works include San Luis, 1989 (2012 Best Play Award, ACTF Region III), Under Further Review (2015 Princess Grace Finalist) and The Chalice (2017 production starring Tony-Nominee Austin Pendleton.) I am a Core Member of The Skeleton Rep(resents), an independent production company dedicated to the exploration of modern myth through theater, dance, and film. I am also a practicing Catholic, continually seeking a concrete manifestation of the supernatural experience I conjured as a child.

All Posts by Emily Claire

Who is Amy Coney Barrett and Why Are...

Amy Coney Barrett is a former professor at the University of Notre... read more

Eco-Fascism Exists Across the Political Spectrum and Must...

Eco-Fascism is an extremist ideology, originating on the Far Right, which lays... read more

Why College Football (or anything, really) Matters Now

Football is not something you probably expected to see discussed on a... read more

Crying Because It's Over, Smiling Because It Happened

I was crying when I left my apartment in Manhattan. The tiny... read more

September, Season of Transitions

September has always been a season of transition. The leaves begin to... read more

New York City Isn't Eternal, but It Will...

New York City isn't dead, and anyone who says it is can... read more

Heaven Exists, But Christians Should Still Fear Death

There is a scene in the film Silence that I think about a... read more

Voting Your Conscience When Everyone Stinks

Voting has never been easy for me. As a Pro-Life, Pro-LGBTQ, Pro-Reform... read more

How Much Repentance is Too Much?

Repentance is a central doctrine of both the Catholic faith and the... read more

Ye Olde Job Search Blues

Here we go again. As I've done a hundred (a thousand?) times... read more

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