FACE THEATRE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Artist Representative
- Writer
Adithi Chandrashekar is a Chicago-based actor and writer. She is also the co-founder and creative director of Queer In(n), a digital arts gallery that commissions Chicago queer artists to interpret an assigned interview of a queer elder or youth and make a brand new work in their own medium based on that interview. Recent theater credits include Theatre for One: Here We Are (Court Theatre), Dance Nation (Steppenwolf), Bull in a China Shop (About Face Theatre), We're Gonna Be Okay (American Theater Company), and Wit (The Hypocrites). TV credits include Amazon's Night Sky, NBC's Chicago Med, FOX's neXt and Empire, and ABC's Betrayal. Adithi's solo performance piece Open Season was written and produced as part of The Gift Theatre's inaugural 4802 residency. She is a proud 2015 graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and is represented by Stewart Talent Agency.
Amy Hutchison is proud to return to the About Face board of directors, having served from 2013 to 2016. Her awe and enthusiasm for the company was first ignited by Patricia Kane's delicious comedy PULP in 2007, and her esteem for AFT and Youth Theatre artists has continued to grow year over year. Amy is a theatre and opera director who stages works across the USA and internationally. Her work with local companies includes Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theatre, Chicago Fringe Opera, South Shore Opera, and Folk Operetta. She has served on the music faculty of Northwestern University and has directed for DePaul University, as well. She is on the Advisory Board of Kia Smith's fabulous South Chicago Dance Theatre. Amy is on the finance team of the elite law firm Jenner & Block and is a member of its LGBTQ Forum. She flat-out loves life in Chicago and can't wait to see you at The Den for the next About Face show!
Job Titles:
- Operations and Production Manager / BRIANA WILSON Development Manager
Job Titles:
- Development Manager
- Operations and Production Manager / BRIANA WILSON Development Manager
Job Titles:
- Press & Media Inquiries
- Public Relations
- Public Relations Publicist
Taylor is a queer, Black, non-binary artist and capacity building specialist with a passion for merging visual and performance art with systemic transformation, political advocacy, and healing justice. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago and UCLA, Taylor has worked as a communications, development, and program manager for organizations rooted in gender justice and survivors' rights for the past ten years, while simultaneously freelancing with film and theater productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, and London.
Job Titles:
- Graphic Designer
- Marketing Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
ED TALIDEH - Chairman, Treasurer
Ed Talideh has a silly British accent and a love for the performing arts (literally - his husband is a theatre director). He moved to Chicago from the UK many years ago (as part of his career in biotech business management) and fell in love with About Face Theatre's shows. He recommends you do the same. Having subsequently learned a lot more about the organization behind the shows, Ed fell in love with AFT's vision and mission (not least the awesome Youth Theatre program!) and is now hono(u)red to bring his business experience to AFT's board in a fundraising and networking function. Indeed, if you're reading this, he'll probably ask you for money at some point. When not writing sardonic biographies, he can be found making questionable design choices, rehearsing karaoke duets, and talking lovingly to his houseplants.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
John Paul moved back to Chicago from Asheville, NC at the start of 2020 with the intention of fostering queer safe space and mobilizing his community to better cultivate creative outlets for LGBTQIA+ people. He comes to the AFT Board with a professional background in labor practice, union organizing, sustainability and public policy as it relates to nonprofit development. When not program managing organizational initiatives in his current role, he is a practiced visual artist and enjoys restoring antique furniture and fiddling with a variety of writing projects. He is deeply honored to support the continued success of AFT in an ever-evolving theatrical landscape.
Linsea moved to Chicago (from Florida) in 2003 after falling in love with the culture and arts scene, the snow, and the outdoor ice-skating rinks. She has a broad range of professional experiences ranging from cosmetologist and wedding DJ to leading organizational change and people strategies in both international nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Currently, she serves as the Director, People & Culture for the Chicago Blackhawks. In addition to obviously loving theatre, she enjoys traveling the world, hiking, kayaking, drinking coffee and striving to be the best Auntie in the world. You might also catch her working as a professional musician here and there. Linsea is thrilled to be a part of AFT's board and proud to enable more innovative and inclusive storytelling.
With a commitment to equity, Lisa is a professional in the fields of business consulting and public service. She has served in leadership capacities managing finances, grants, and marketing. She has established new companies in competitive marketplaces, implemented successful marketing strategies, and improved employee performance and development through training programs. Lisa is an educator, mentor, and longtime advocate for people living with disabilities, those without a permanent address, and those experiencing food insecurity. She holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Illinois, a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College School of Public Affairs, City University of New York, and a Bachelor of Arts from Daemen College. Affiliations include the Winnemac Dog Friendly Area committee; Girl Scouts, USA; and initiatives addressing the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community, supporting her elders, and mentoring the next generation.
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
Sheldon Brown is a graduate of Emerson College '14. He performed in The Magnolia Ballet, Time Is On Our Side, and This Bitter Earth at About Face Theatre and soon after became an Artistic Associate. His other credits include A Wonder In My Soul at Victory Gardens Theatre, Oedipus Rex and Man In The Ring by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Michael Cristofer at Court Theatre, and more. He also has numerous credits in Boston including The Grand Inquisitor, directed by Peter Brook through ArtsEmerson. His film credits include Cicada (SFFILM Rainin Grant, OutFest, BFI Flare Festival, Frameline Film Festival), The Canyonlands, and My Name is Alex. He is a recipient of the President's Award for Creative Courage from Emerson College for his work educating and inspiring others to create social change. He is a member of the Second Act Chi, a social justice theatre coalition working to create harm reduction practices and equal opportunities for marginalized voices within the theatre community, and systems of transparency and accountability for institutions to create, uphold, and maintain fair, diverse, and equitable spaces. He is a teaching artist with Northlight and Steppenwolf Theatre, as well as the League of Chicago Theatres in conjunction with the August Wilson Monologue Competition.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Honorary Board