My name is Amelia Merrill and I'm a New York-based playwright, dramaturg, critic, reporter, and communications professional (and dog mom!). I have worked as an editor at American Theatre magazine, developed my playwriting with beloved New York independent theatres, and served as a dramaturg for award-winning theatre companies and playwrights.
The home page of this website, Last Curtain, serves as my newsletter for theatre, film, TV, literary, and art reviews and pop culture musings.
Want to know more? Want to work together? Contact me and let's get the ball rolling.
Playwriting
My plays have been developed with Paper Kraine Productions and LakeHouseRanchDotPNG and have been staged at A.R.T./NY. You can read my work on New Play Exchange.
I write plays about people who get caught up in larger-than-life systems and feel helpless in the face of their own choices. One element I keep coming back to in my work is memory: How we create and reconstruct it, how we alter and honor it, and how it warps our everyday decision-making in ways we both do and do not recognize.
To complete my B.A. in Theatre Arts at Dickinson College, I wrote, co-designed, directed, and choreographed a (very early draft) production of my play dear kitty (or, not another anne frank play): a travesty.
Criticism + Arts Journalism
I'm an arts and culture reporter and critic whose work has been published in TheaterMania, Narratively, Hey Alma, Mic, 3Views, and many other outlets. I'm a former editor at American Theatre and an alum of the O'Neill's National Critics Institute.
In my arts journalism career, I have interviewed stars and celebrities, experts and scholars, labor organizers, and countless artists and administrators who make the theatre industry go 'round. I'm a member of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association and I hold an M.S. in Communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. My full journalism portfolio is available here.
Dramaturgy
I have experience as a new-play and production dramaturg and have worked with playwrights, producers, and theatre companies.
Want a lobby display? I've designed and installed them. Want your cast to better understand the cultural context of your work? I love the rehearsal room. Want fresh eyes on your script? I'm eager to read it. Contact me and let's work together!
Social Media Management + Communications
I have extensive experience in social media marketing and management and have worked for web publications, nonprofits, small businesses, podcasts, and influencers. My experience includes content calendar management, audio and video production and editing, and social media platform analytics.
In 2025, I brought my work experience to The College of Westchester, where I serve as an Adjunct Professor. Gaining hands-on classroom experience with undergraduate students has been so valuable and I have learned so much from them!
What is Last Curtain?
As an arts journalist, I'm lucky to get invited to lots of plays and film screenings. As a freelancer, though, I don't always have an outlet to review everything. I decided to start this newsletter to document all the artistic and cultural events I'm fortunate enough to witness.
You can still find more of my theatre criticism in New York Theatre Guide and more publications, and I hope you'll enjoy reading my thoughts on all kinds of art and media here.
