Biography
Living in Los Angeles, Deirdre Lyons has been in over 75 Film and Theatrical productions throughout the west coast. In L.A., she formed T.H. Espian Productions with her partner Stephen Butchko. Their first production was the Los Angeles premiere of Escher's Hands, a dramatic work by Dawson Nichols that played for a six-week run at the Lillian Theater. The two went on to produce and perform in the award-winning short film Katrina; a web series called The Fantasy State; a documentary; and the critically acclaimed short film Good Behavior, which won Best Short Film at the Temecula Film Festival.
In 2016 she began working with immersive theater productions, she was part of the original cast of JFI Productions' The Willows, which enjoyed seven remounts due to its popularity. Other immersive projects include the JFI Productions' Creep LA shows Entry, Lore, Awake, Haus of Creep and Creep (2021). She was the "Lost Princess" in the final chapter of Speakeasy Societies Kansas Collection, and with a Spy Brunch weekend event entitled Cold War Lounge: the asset. Deirdre has participated in multiple activation's, including one-night launch events for the movies Ma, Birds of Prey and The Conjuring 3. She appeared at Comic-Con promoting Sacred Lies and AHS 1984. And was cast in Tyra Banks' immersive world Model Land.
Her transition into virtual reality began with two 180-degree films (The Willows, Freakin' Weekend) and deepened with her roles in The Under Presents and The Under Presents: Tempest by Tender Claws, which won the VR Awards Experience of the Year and was an Emmy finalist.
She is a co-founder of Ferryman Collective, a pioneering VR theatre company creating award-winning live productions in virtual reality. Her VR credits as performer, producer, and director include PARA, Krampusnacht (PGA Innovation Award finalist), Welcome to Respite (Tribeca, Venice, Raindance winner), and Gumball Dreams, her directorial debut, which won the SXSW Audience Award and premiered internationally at the 79th Venice Film Festival. She also assistant directed Uncanny Alley: A New Day, which premiered at the 81st Venice Film Festival and won XR Must's "Best Interactivity/Performance" award.
Deirdre is a 2023 SXSW mentor, was named XR Must's 2022 "Creator of the Year," and was included in the Top 100 Original Voices in XR, XR Women's 2023 Innovation Award honorees, and Women of the Future's Global 100 in Emerging Tech. She is a sought-after speaker and a member of the Television Academy and Producers Guild of America. She also teaches and lectures on immersive storytelling and VR performance, including at Chapman University.
