Olivia Lilley

Adjunct Faculty // Directing, Screenwriting
School of Cinematic Arts
Olivia Lilley

Bio and Research Information

Olivia Lilley is a screenwriter, director, theatremaker, and producer who came up in Chicago's DIY and Storefront Theatre scenes. Olivia was the Artistic Director of Prop Thtr (2018 - 2023), and the founding Artistic Director of The Runaways Lab Theatre (Voted Best New Theatre Company in the Chicago Reader's Best of 2014). Olivia’s feature screenplay “The Snowpeople” was selected for Full Spectrum Features Producers’ Lab 2020. She was selected for Broadway for All's Theatre Producers of Color: Commercial Producing 101 Inaugural cohort. She currently teaches at DePaul's School of Cinematic Arts, Humboldt Park Film Skool, and The Playwright's Center. She hosts and produces the podcast, "The Future of Art in America, A New Models Podcast" on Spotify, and directs and produces Social Media for Full Bars Media in Logan Square, including the weekly show, "Coffee Is For Closers". Olivia is in financing for her first feature film as a writer/director, "This Is The Place" with Producer Tiffany Weisberg and EP Christina Shaver. Olivia attended Carnegie Mellon School of Drama for Directing and Interlochen Arts Academy for Music Composition. She has an MFA in Screenwriting from The University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Research Area

Directing, Screenwriting

Specific Research Area

Independent Film in Chicago, Community Building through Project Development, Story Development in Hollywood TV and Feature Writing, Devising Film, Physically Adventurous Worlds on Screen

Schedule for Spring 2023-2024

Courses Taught at DePaul

Course Evaluations