Emma Carter

*Eugene O'Neil National Playwrights Conference Semi-Finalist 2019
FULL-LENGTH: "Wicked Creatures" is gothic horror where the monsters in the home aren't ghosts or beasts, but misogyny, ableism, and the denial of bodily autonomy--wholly human horrors. In pursuit of creating the perfect female contraceptive, Sonja Smithson entraps the young scholar, Archibald Worthington, intent upon using him for her experiments. His only chance for escape is the "incorruptibly good" Emily Clearwater, and the humorously foul-mouthed Clara Hollowell. A tale of terror, trauma, and tea.

FULL-LENGTH: Taylor is the social pariah of her freshman class. Mycah is the new girl. Both seek refuge from the tortures of real life by escaping into books, and when Mycah invites Taylor to join her in an online RPG--Role Play Game--Taylor finds a haven for outcasts like herself who obsess over anime, video games, and fanfiction. But when the politics of high school social dynamics put pressure on Mycah and Taylor' RL friendship, both stand to lose everything they've created and more.

TYA 15-MINUTE PLAY: Shadowfox the Surefooted is on a mission: to beat the newest installment of DRAGON SLAYERS, a virtual reality MMORPG. When the game forces her to partner up with a less experienced player, more than her strength is tested as both work together to find the legendary Egg of Armagon.

*Recommended for MIDDLE SCHOOL+

This work was created as part of the Living Room Theater's 24-hour play festival, NO SLEEP NOVEMBER 2017 and workshopped at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center's Play-Lab in 2019.

20-MINUTE PLAY: Nova Cardrew has come of age; it is finally time for her to graduate and move on to her assigned career path. But just when she thinks the exam is over, she's forced to face her darkest secrets and learn the truth behind her own existence. When given the choice between her own life and saving the life of another, Nova sticks to her beliefs. In a world where resources are limited and only the fittest are allowed to survive, will she move on to a new life or be declared a dead branch that needs pruning?

FULL-LENGTH: In a world of swiping right and STDs, Julia and Darren are both just trying to figure out how this whole dating thing actually works. We follow them through a series of intimate moments, both sexually and emotional, in an exploration of the embarrassing, gross, and beautiful experience that is connecting with other human beings.

20-MINUTE PLAY: In a world not so different from our own Carol-Ann watches as one by one her friends "cross over" into the world of married life, never to be seen from again. It is the night of Julia's wedding, and with only one single friend left, Carol-Ann is desperate to keep her chosen family together.

FULL-LENGTH: Gabe, freshly heart-broken by the seemingly perfect Quinn, teeters between catatonic despair and wild ambition. A tough but tender-hearted Al, with a painful past of her own, finds purpose enabling him. Both use one another to hide from the reality they're not willing to confront. When Gabe says he’s found new purpose in attempting to meet every goal on his “not a bucket list,” the puzzle pieces of their timeline are reassembled for the audience, in exploration of love, friendship, and the different stages of life as a 20-something today. But when Al realizes that Gabe is still clinging to the past, their friendship is put to the test, and Gabe is forced to face his demons.

Check out review by Liz Cook, writer for KC'S The Pitch:
http://www.pitch.com/kansascity/now-playing-junk-at-the-living-room-the…

FULL-LENGTH: Nora, an aspiring concert violinist by night and customer service rep by day, struggles through the morning rush at the Springfield Symphony Box Office. The usual managers are away, and Nora is the unwilling leader of its motley crew: Eddie, the nerdy, office clown; Roger, a diligent worker with no social filter; Collin, who's social anxiety is so great he communicates with his fellow employees almost entirely through the piano, and Salma, a badass Muslim woman who's joined their team under mysterious and unfortunate circumstances. With each ring of the phone, we meet an array of hilarious customers, all sixteen brought to life by one exceptional actress. When the infamous high-level donor, Honore Drinkwine demands front row tickets for the Ben Folds concert, Nora must find a way to do the impossible or risk losing her job. However, she might lose her mind in the process.

20-MINUTE PLAY: It's Christmas day in Kansas City and Lydia's boyfriend has left her sitting in the cold for over an hour. As the sun begins to set, a friendly bell-ringer offers to keep her company while she waits. In this heart-warming, holiday story, two strangers become friends as Lydia Wells and "Just Carl" discuss the science of love, the need for belief, and the importance of forgiveness.

10-MINUTE PLAY: It’s nearly midnight on Halloween and Jenny is the closer on duty. As she’s about to lock up the diner, a dashingly handsome, “vampire” asks to come inside. Spencer is charming, flirtatious, and has his eyes set on Jenny. What starts as a young woman’s vampire-romance-dream quickly turns into a nightmare—someone will be tricked, and someone will get the treat.

10-MINUTE PLAY: Aria is trying to master the nuances of modern dating, from swiping right to choosing the right emoji. Luckily she has a best friend like Bea to remind her what really matters.

10-MINUTE PLAY: Minding Your Manners in the Death Circle is a distilled dystopian adventure with a twist, paying homage to two of your favorite young adult book series. In a world broken into four distinct houses, where students must fight to the death to survive, two heroes will risk their lives to reclaim the long lost magic words of old, freeing not only themselves, but the entire world as they know it.