These people worked with Anna:

“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.”

—Aaron Rossini, director (Fault Line Theatre, Artistic Director)

“Anna is my go to consultant when I'm stuck or need feedback on a play, pilot or film. She's been a popular dramaturg underground for a while in the NYC theater scene, and that's because she is concise, exceptionally intelligent and knowledgeable about structure, character and story arcs. Coming from a theater background, Anna knows how to talk to writers in a non-intrusive but supportive way and can give feedback from an actor's perspective as well as a dramaturgs. She opens up elements of your script that you didn't know were there- and I recommend all of the services she provides. She'll work with you on what your needs are and deliver 100 percent.”

—Leah Nanako Winkler, playwright (Kentucky, EST; God Said This, 2018 Yale Prize), television writer (Ramy, Hulu; Love Life, HBO Max), and screenwriter

"Anna has a way of contextualizing writers and writings, unlike anyone I've ever worked with. Anna has helped me develop three new plays and has introduced me to artists and writers who have helped me understand what I was writing—even when I didn't. It's very likely Anna has helped develop some of your favorite plays; she truly is reading, seeing, working on so many different kinds of writing that the internal library she's pulling from is vast. She is also incredibly empathetic and believes in art more than anyone else I've ever known. You—and your project—are going to love working with her."

--Diana Stahl, playwright, screenwriter, actor, and healer

“I shared an early draft of a play with Anna, and her feedback and insights were invaluable. Her brain is a thing of magic, and she made me think about things that I hadn't even considered. She's rigorous in her exploration and terribly compassionate in her time and interest."

—Vichet Chum, playwright (Bald Sisters, Steppenwolf) and actor

“Simply put, Anna is the best dramaturg I’ve worked with. She perfectly identified and articulated the themes of my script in ways that helped me better understand what I’d written. She has a deft understanding of dramatic structure, and the piece improved immensely from her feedback. When I gave Anna my script, I was too close to the material to know how to continue with the next draft. Her reflections brought the piece into sharper focus and provided a clear path forward. More specifically,  I had been receiving  a similar note from other readers that just wasn't resonating. I wasn’t sure how to interpret it , but I knew something needed to be addressed as the note kept coming up. Anna was able to translate the puzzling feedback into a single sentence that, finally, made complete sense and allowed for practical revision. On top of all this, Anna has a great sense of humor and an infectious enthusiasm for story—i.e. working with her is really. really. fun!
I could go on and on, but I think you should just hire her already.” 

—Eddie Prunoske, director and writer (winner of the 2023 BlueCat Screenplay Grand Prize)

“Anna is a uniquely caring and insightful collaborator with insight into the crafts of acting, writing, directing, and producing. She helped me CRUSH LIFE AGAIN AND AGAIN. Hire her!”

-Alena Smith, playwright and showrunner (Dickinson, Apple TV+)

“Anna is an incredible mind—she can handle a script at any point and bring it to the next level. She diagnoses brilliantly and propels the work forward while protecting the message and respecting the form, whether it's a screenplay or a poem. Her insights are unique and instrumental to the writer's process. Hire her. At any and every stage of development.”

– Liba Vaynberg, playwright and actor (Roundtable, 59E59; The Get, Rattlestick Theatre)

"Anna is one of the most voracious readers and supporters of writers that I have ever met. She consumes material with an open mind but a keen eye for technique and convention. She has a profound instinct for finding a writer's intentions and helping them best execute. She has also introduced leadership at Lesser America to some fabulous emerging writers over the years, planting the seeds for some of our most successful productions. She always operates with a truly generous spirit and wild enthusiasm for the work, for its own sake."

- Laura Ramadei, Producing Director, Lesser America; television & film writer/producer

“I first met Anna when she was an actress in my play ALABAMA STORY. We got to talking about new work and it became clear that her taste, intelligence, experience and perspective would benefit the development of my other work. Her thoughtful, incisive and respectful observations and questions have helped make my plays better. She’s my first go-to when I need a sounding board, an advocate and a tough but gentle critic.”

– Kenneth Jones, playwright

“Through her work as an editor and dramaturg Anna has directed me closer to the heart of my writing, clarified my voice, and challenged me to craft cleaner, leaner copy. A collaboration with Anna never fails to leaves me inspired, challenged, supported, and a little bit in awe.”

— Jacob Kemp, actor and writer

“Anna is an extraordinarily perceptive reader of plays. Her own work as a performer and playwright explain, in part, her skill in knowing play-time. But she is also a maven of structure on the page; she knows what a scene wants and also what it needs. Ditto for the play as a whole. She can interpret confusing notes from others in ways that fuel actionable re-writing. And she's great at sensing the playwright's voice and encouraging writers to write in alignment with that voice. I have always valued Anna's feedback, which she provides with care, generosity, and intelligence. 

– Jay Stull, playwright and director

"Anna's singular gift is to listen for the heartbeat of each particular script. She has zero agenda when giving feedback except to make that heartbeat stronger on its own terms. She's incredibly savvy, not only about what could make your piece better but about letting you discover it for yourself. It's honestly a little frustrating that someone can be so artistically generous... makes the rest of us look a bit petty by comparison."

--Katharine Clark Gray, screenwriter and Webby-nominated podcast writer/producer (Masters of Scale)

“Working with Anna is only for those truly of the pure of spirit. She will see through your bluster. She will illuminate your erratum and dramaturgical incongruities. She will scoff at your use of semicolons. You will be the better for it. Let her crack open the shell of your ego to let in the chill morning air.”

— Jason Platt, playwright and screenwriter

“Anna was INSTRUMENTAL in the development of my series, Developmental. After one email with Anna, I was able to expand on what was essentially a twenty-page idea into an entire limited series with seven half-hour episodes. Her incredibly insightful notes helped me articulate my own scream. They not only reflected back the world I was trying to create, it was as if they spoke from the world itself. In a perfect world, I would not only hire Anna again, I would not work without her.”

—Tommy Heleringer, actor and writer

“Anna is one of the smartest people I know, and probably the smartest person when it comes to script development. She has a superb understanding of plot and character arcs, dialogue, and different genres, both stage and screen. She helped me immensely with my television pilot, and I particularly appreciate that Anna is always looking for the best way to tell the story that you want to create, rather than imposing an outside idea onto it. Simply put, her brain is a rare gem, and her experience speaks for itself. There's no one better to shepherd your script or production along than Anna.”

—Ellen Adair, actor (The Sinner) and writer

“Anna has always been the first person I want to have eyes on my scripts. She seems to be able to get to the crux of the issue and help you make your writing better without giving a single prescriptive note. She also arrives with the eye of an actor, writer, and producer, so her thoughts are coming holistic, comprehensive, and particularly savvy. Honestly, her dramaturgy has saved me weeks (months?) of circling around script dilemmas, and my writing practice has improved whenever I have her voice in my ear—or just in my head.” 

--Emily Schwend, playwright (Utility, 2016 Yale Prize) 

“Anna is the first person whose opinion I seek whenever I'm working on a new script: whether I'm directing a new play, devising something of my own, or even preparing an audition. Anna has a laser like ability to hone in on the most interesting and activating elements at play in any piece of dramatic writing.”

—Natasha Warner, director and actor

“Anna O’Donoghue is a remarkable resource for any scribe seeking meaningful dramaturgical collaboration. I have been fortunate enough to engage Anna’s talents multiple times over the past few years. Whether dissecting a screenplay, breaking story on a web-series or analyzing a new media piece, I’ve been consistently impressed not only by her curiosity and wealth of knowledge, but her commitment to meet writers where they are. Anna’s sensitivity to narrative, character and structure make her an invaluable asset and I could not recommend her services more enthusiastically.”

—Corey Allen, actor and screenwriter

“Anna has an incredible facility with a broad range of playwriting styles, and is quick to identify and nurture the strengths of a given piece of writing without imposing a predetermined aesthetic mindset on it. She considers a play on its own terms, and her intellectual rigor and attention to detail yield questions and suggestions that are thoughtful, practical, and clearly communicated. Her extensive experience in all facets of play development makes her an invaluable asset to any process of which she is a part.”

—Eric Gilde, actor, writer, and director

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Anna more than once, and they simply don’t come any sharper, creative, or more insightful than she does. She has a terrific grasp of both narrative structure and character development. I’m hard pressed to think of a single suggestion she’s made or question she’s asked that hasn’t tangibly improved my work. Moreover—and this is not incidental—she is a highly enjoyable presence in any rehearsal room.”

—Jack Canfora, playwright

“Anna is a gifted script reader. She reads, no, devours, the content, and immediately and joyfully returns with a well-reasoned, articulate and passionate critique of what works really wonderfully and what leaves her with more questions. And she does all of this reading and responding with useful insight with great humor, kindness and a great sense of play! Anna is always at the top of my list to hand a script to for feedback — you would do well to put her at the top of your list too!”

—Jessica Provenz, playwright

“Anna is incredibly intelligent. She’s also kind, dedicated, generous, and very funny. Oh, and she’s passionate and deeply knowledgeable about theatre. She loves new plays and has tremendous insight into what works and what doesn’t. Anna is an absolute joy to work with and she inspires me every time I’m in her presence. If you want thoughtful, honest, rigorous feedback on your script, hire Anna!”      

- Alice Eve Cohen, playwright and solo theatre artist