Erin Courtney

Erin Courtney serves as Associate Professor and Associate Director of the MFA in Writing for Screen and Stage program within the Department of Radio/Television/Film at Northwestern University's School of Communication. Her academic leadership bridges creative practice and pedagogy in contemporary theatre and screen-based storytelling.

Her educational foundation includes:

• BA from Brown University studying under Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel
• MFA in Playwriting from Brooklyn College with experimental theatre pioneer Mac Wellman

Courtney's creative research manifests through psychologically intense dramatic works exploring societal fractures and human vulnerability. Her Obie Award-winning play A Map of Virtue—hailed by The New York Times as 'one of the most terrifying plays of the past decade'—exemplifies her signature fusion of horror and realism. Current projects include the Playwrights Horizons-commissioned Ann, Fran, Mary Ann and the musical The Tattooed Lady developed with support from The Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat and Joe’s Pub at the Public.

Her creative trajectory reveals consistent engagement with institutional support systems:

• Humana Festival premieres at Actors Theater of Louisville
• Opera commissions from The Flea Theater (The Nomad and Kaspar Hauser)
• Development residencies at Space on Ryder Farm and The Playwrights’ Center

Major recognitions include:

• Obie Award for A Map of Virtue
• GLAAD Award nomination for A Map of Virtue
• Guggenheim Fellowship (2013)
• MacDowell Colony fellowship

Courtney's academic mentorship extends beyond Northwestern through her former role as MFA Playwriting Program Coordinator at Brooklyn College. Her creative development is sustained by commissions from Playwrights Horizons, The Flea Theater, and residencies at The Goodspeed Opera House and Kimmel Center. As co-founder of the Brooklyn Writer’s Space and member of the Obie-winning collective 13P, she actively shapes collaborative writing ecosystems.

Her institutional affiliations form a robust creative network:

• Affiliated Artist with Clubbed Thumb
• Member of New Dramatists (since 2012)
• Core Writer at The Playwrights’ Center
• Working Farm participant at Space on Ryder Farm