M. E. H. Lewis
M. E. H. Lewis is an American playwright working in the Chicago and national theatre scene. She used to produce under the name Margaret Lewis.
M.E.H. Lewis's work has been seen at Cherry Lane Theatre in New York, Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, The New Theatre in Melbourne, the Detroit Repertory Theatre, Next Theatre in Evanston, and Stage Left Theatre in Chicago, among others.
Her first play, Charms for Protection, won the Julie Harris Award. Since then, she has gone on to win many honors, including the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Work, two Illinois Arts Council Fellowships, three Ragdale Foundation Residencies, a Tremain Grant, and the FutureFest Outstanding Playwright Award.
Her first production in Chicago was Stage Left's critically acclaimed production of Burying the Bones, which was nominated for three Joseph Jefferson awards, including Best New Work. Burying the Bones just finished a ten-week revival at Detroit Repertory Theatre, where it garnered universal critical acclaim and sold-out audiences.
Other productions include Here Where It's Safe and Fellow Travellers (winner of the Joseph Jefferson for Best New Work), both at Stage Left, Creole at InFusion Theatre (nominated for five Black Theatre Alliance awards), Princess Donkey-Head at New World Rep, Secret Language at Next Theatre, Float at The New Theatre, and Perfect World at Infamous Commonwealth. Her work has also been included in multiple festivals and workshops, including Stage Left's LeapFest, American Blues' Ripped series and Reverie Theatre's Next Generation.
Two of Lewis's plays, Small World and Thirst (co-authored with Anita Chandwaney), are official selections of the 2012 International Women's Theatre Festival, which will be held in Stockholm.
Lewis is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Women's Theatre Alliance.
Lewis is a graduate of Grinnell College, Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University.