Emily Witt

As a child, I loved words so much that I never put my books down. Even when crossing in front of busy streets and beeping cars. I penned my first play at the ripe age of seven, which followed a torrid love affair between the two lawn gnomes in my yard. Don’t worry—they’ve since reconciled, and their relationship continues to grow stronger each day, just like my adoration for words. Now, I pour that same passion for the English language into my Communications work for Texas Freedom Network, a multi-issue progressive & advocacy organization that fights for abortion rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, truthful education, and so much more. I spend most of my free time advocating for abortion access, doing volunteer work to benefit sexual assault and domestic violence survivors, and writing plays. I...

As a child, I loved words so much that I never put my books down. Even when crossing in front of busy streets and beeping cars. I penned my first play at the ripe age of seven, which followed a torrid love affair between the two lawn gnomes in my yard. Don’t worry—they’ve since reconciled, and their relationship continues to grow stronger each day, just like my adoration for words. Now, I pour that same passion for the English language into my Communications work for Texas Freedom Network, a multi-issue progressive & advocacy organization that fights for abortion rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, truthful education, and so much more. I spend most of my free time advocating for abortion access, doing volunteer work to benefit sexual assault and domestic violence survivors, and writing plays. I earned my BFA in Playwriting from Chicago's DePaul University in 2017, where my play about our country's barriers to abortion access, Mrs. Phu’s Cleansing Juices (and also salads), was given a mainstage production. Soon after, the play received a Distinguished Achievement Award for Playwriting from The Kennedy Center. Now, I reside in Austin, TX.

Scripts

Rent-A-Friend

by Emily Witt

Synopsis

April 2020: Lena is in the first seemingly healthy relationship of her life, but she can’t fight the urge to lick doorknobs during the lockdown. One day, she googles the word “rent” and autofill shows her the option to “rent a friend.” Inside the site, she connects with Renter One, a digital persona for a person named Darren. Lena and Darren soon learn that rental prices go beyond monetary realms for the users...

April 2020: Lena is in the first seemingly healthy relationship of her life, but she can’t fight the urge to lick doorknobs during the lockdown. One day, she googles the word “rent” and autofill shows her the option to “rent a friend.” Inside the site, she connects with Renter One, a digital persona for a person named Darren. Lena and Darren soon learn that rental prices go beyond monetary realms for the users of rentafriend.com, as they explore the depths of depression in the digital age, human connection, and a reimagining of intimacy during a pandemic. Oh, and a rogue band of squirrels is on the loose.

Mrs. Phu's Cleansing Juices (and also salads)

by Emily Witt

Synopsis

Entering Mrs. Phu’s means crossing a gauntlet of steadfast Reaganites and pro-lifers. Just on the other side of the trenches lies a world where a waiter wrangles eccentric customers, a hippie lady floats aimlessly, and three very different women gather to receive abortions under the constraints of stringent federal mandates.

Entering Mrs. Phu’s means crossing a gauntlet of steadfast Reaganites and pro-lifers. Just on the other side of the trenches lies a world where a waiter wrangles eccentric customers, a hippie lady floats aimlessly, and three very different women gather to receive abortions under the constraints of stringent federal mandates.