Maria Pretzl is a writer/director based in Milwaukee. She earned a BFA in Film Production and a BA in Theatre Studies from UW-Milwaukee in 2014 and co-founded Traveling Lemur Productions in 2015 with her partner, Nate Schardin. They were nominated for a regional Emmy for their work on Christmastown Comes to First Stage (producer, videographer) in 2021. Her film credits include writing and directing the award winning short film Super Dad!, and her theater credits include JUNIPER FLIES (Playwright, Renaissance Theaterworks) which was selected for the Best of Br!nk Briefs program in 2021. She has been lucky enough to have opportunities to direct and have her work produced around Milwaukee and in Chicago. Besides having a passion for storytelling, Ms. Pretzl enjoys helping others develop their storytelling skills. She is currently the Interim Network Director & First Draft Coordinator at Chicago Dramatists. She is also the parent of a talkative cat, T’Challa.
