Emily (Em) Simpson is a technical director, stage hand, props artisan, and scenic designer. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Pennsylvania State University, majoring in Theatre Design & Technology with emphases in Technical Direction and Scenic Design, as well as a minor in French and Francophone studies. She is also a Schreyer Honors College Scholar.

Most recently, Emily worked as the crew swing on the National Tours of The Sound of Music as well as The Book of Mormon. As crew swing, she learned and covered show tracks across six technical departments and participated in loading the shows in and out. Touring has taken her to over 60 venues across the US and Canada.

Additionally, she has worked as the TD Apprentice and the Props Apprentice at the Glimmerglass Festival (2024 & 2023, resptectively). At Penn State, Emily worked as the TD of several shows, notably Urinetown (2024), which she also wrote her Schreyer honors thesis on.

This website is an ongoing portfolio of her work.