BRENDA LILLY
Brenda Lunsford Lilly is a professor in the Film and Television Program at Western Carolina University where she served as Interim Director in 2014 and has directed a number of stage productions.
Her television writing/producing credits include Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, L.A. Law, Christy, Walker: Texas Ranger, Xena/Warrior Princess, Bobby’s World, Second Noah, Fame, L.A. and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Along with Hollis Rich, she created, wrote and executive-produced 39 episodes of the critically acclaimed and award-winning series, State of Grace, starring Mae Whitman, Alia Shawkat (Blaze) and Academy Award-winner Frances McDormand. The show went on to win numerous awards and was featured at the 2016 ATX Television Festival in Austin, TX, where both creators were featured as forum panelists.
As a playwright, Brenda was commissioned to write a play based on hotel magnate Leona Helmsley – “Leona: The Politic$ of Urban Development. She wrote the book for the musical, The Ballad of Tom Dooley, based on her screenplay, “Bound To Die,” co-wrote Along About Sundown – A Musical Memoir of Basom Lamar Lunsford, and wrote Spirited Recollections for Parkway Playhouse, based on the life of Rush Wray. She adapted and directed Ibsen’s play, “A Doll’s House” for Western Carolina University. She is currently adapting it into a screenplay.
She has served as a judge for numerous film festivals, the Emmy Awards and the Writers Guild of America Awards.