Emily Conbere is a playwright who merges her talent for writing with her second profession as an individual and family therapist. Conbere earned a master’s in playwriting from Columbia University and a master’s in clinical social work from the University of Washington, where she wrote a thesis on “Resilience in Families After a Suicide.” Conbere has worked as a playwright with Ensemble Studio Theater, Symphony Space, Mabou Mines, Collective Unconscious, New Georges, Kansas City Art Institute, Bryant Lake Bowl, MN Fringe, and in Bielefeld, Germany. She was an artist-in-residence at MacDowell (2007), Tofte Lake, and with Mabou Mines, East River Commedia, and ALT Opera Company.
Conbere’s plays, in line with her work as a therapist, explore grief and healing within families in times of tragedy; Broken Dog Legs (2007) tells the story of a girl coming to terms with the sudden death of her brother to suicide, while Knocking Bird (2015) explores the impact of a tragic car accident on a young couple’s marriage. Conbere’s one-act play Slapped Actress was published in the Best American Short Plays Anthology 2008–2009, and she was accepted into Seattle Rep’s New Play Program in 2012, and in 2013 was featured in CityArts magazine.
