Anna O’Donoghue is a dramaturg who works with writers of all experience levels on plays, screenplays, and prose.
She is currently available for consultations. And for commiseration. Because writing is hard.
In her capacity as a literary manager and award adjudicator, Anna reads and comments on more than 500 scripts a year.
That means she understands that every play is a unique world, with its own individual rules, rituals, weather patterns, structures, and symbols.
She’ll help you focus the story you’re telling and find how it can define itself more clearly and compellingly. She’ll work with you to unlock the possibilities for your world’s particular magic.
Why should you listen to Anna?
Maybe you shouldn’t!
Anna’s number one credo is: writers are the ultimate authority over their own work. If she says anything that doesn’t strike a chord or feel right—discard it. You’re the one making the world. It’s yours.
But…maybe Anna can help! Over her ten-plus years of experience developing new plays, she has worked with hundreds of writers—and the process has taught her that empathy, curiosity, and a sense of imaginative adventure are always welcome.
It has also taught her that narrative is intensely subjective. So, don’t listen to anyone above yourself. Including Anna. She might say some stupid things.
***She occasionally might also say some smart ones. And, if she does, they’re yours to steal.
"Anna O'Donoghue has one of the best dramaturgical minds in our industry. Her script analysis is both thoughtful and nimble. She engages with the material first and foremost as a practitioner. This approach allows her to be simultaneously direct and empathetic. I am grateful to know her, and I am a better collaborator because of her influence.”
So look, you’ve scrolled this far…
Are you writing a play? Or a screenplay?
That’s amazing! Congratulations. You know how many people never write a play or a screenplay? Most people! Most people never do!
Now that you’re doing it, you might need some help—some fresh eyes, some fresh ideas.
Maybe you’re midway through, and you’re stuck. What do you do now?
Maybe you’re struggling with the ending (endings are notoriously difficult).
Maybe you’re done with a draft, and you know something’s not quite right—but you’re not sure what’s missing.
Maybe you’re done, and you’re proud! But, before you share it with the world—you want someone else to put eyes on it.
Maybe you already shared it with some people, and they had notes or reactions you didn’t understand. What were they talking about? Why didn’t they get what you were going for?
Maybe there’s something you yourself are wondering about your project, some big question you have—but you don’t know who to ask.
Anna will tailor her approach to you and your work.
Anna wants to read what you wrote.
And she wants to explore
your world with you.
Anna is also an actor.
She has appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway, and at regional theaters around the country.
But she’s not gonna talk about that here too much, because this is about You and your Work.
(I MEAN CLICK HERE IF YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT ANNA’S ACTING CAREER:)
(Honestly, that link doesn’t really tell you much about Anna’s acting career—it’s just the first site that comes up when you google Anna’s name.
(Close behind are a slew of articles by a pop culture journalist in Ireland.)
(Anna is very grateful to her fellow Anna for tracking the essential news so carefully.)
(Okay, cool.)