Member Directory
Meet the Club!
Organizers
Jamillah Hinson - Lord Chancellor of Production
- Pronouns: she/her/hers
- Instagram: @j.amillah
- About: Jamillah is an independent curator and arts programmer working in Omaha, NE. Her curatorial and programmatic practices often centers the narratives of Black women and femmes, with a research practice based in afrofuturism, black folks within the natural world, and historical nuances of black cultures throughout the Americas. However, she works with a wide range of artists and creatives, mostly within the visual and experimental performance arts.
Allyson Gonzalez - Creative Director
- Pronouns: she/her/hers
- Styles of puppetry? Stop-motion, object work, table top, multimedia, toy theater and shadow puppetry - live performance, scripting, construction & film
- Website: www.allysongonzalez.com
- Patreon: www.patreon.com/allysongonzalez
- Contact: reach out here
- Instagram: @onebedroomartist
- About: Independent Puppeteer, Founder of The Allyson Gonzalez Residency for Art, Science & Cultural Exchange and Thankyoutine's Day. Allyson performs puppet shows for adults, themes of her often one-woman shows and films range from feminism and climate change to immigration laws in America and celebrating Otherness. She loves to tour! When she's not at her work bench, she enjoys telescoping with her husband, taking Polaroids, making zines and drawing hot dogs.
Puppeteers
Jose Nateras
- Pronouns: he/him/his
- Style of puppetry? Various
- Website: www.josenateras.com
- Twitter: @JoseNateras
- Instagram: @JLorca13
- Contact: reach out here or by email
- About: Jose Nateras is an L.A. based Actor, Writer, Teacher, and Director with experience in everything from Shakespeare, to Sketch Comedy, Improv, Puppetry, TV/Film, Stand Up Comedy, and more. Available for traveling tours, voiceover opportunities (Fluent English / Conversational Spanish) and commissioned puppet builds. He has his MFA in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), and always has new and exciting projects in development.
Louise Loeb
- Pronouns: she/her/hers
- Styles of puppetry? Arm-rod puppets, shadow puppets & found-object puppets
- Website: www.bluemonstercomedy.com
- Instagram: @bluemonstercomedy
- Facebook: @BluemonsterComedy
- YouTube: @BluemonsterComedy
- Contact: reach out by email
- About: Louise is an independent puppeteer and comedian in the Chicago area. She incorporates puppetry in her various sketch comedy, improv shows, and online comedic videos. She regularly performs at iO Theater with the team, Buttermilk. Currently, Louise is experimenting with shadow puppets, manual cinema, and historical narrative, thereby putting her History degrees from Vassar College and the University of Cambridge to good use.
Jerrell L. Henderson
- Pronouns: he/him/his
- Style of puppetry? Shadow puppetry
- Website: http://www.jerrell-henderson.com
- Instagram: @directnu15
- About: Jerrell Henderson is a director, puppeteer, and an Assistant Professor of Performance Studies at Chicago State University. His shadow play adaptation, 3 American Myths: A Riff in Shadow & Light in 3 Rhythmic Movements was a finalist for a 2019 Jim Henson FoundationGrant. He received a BA in Theatre Arts from The Pennsylvania State University, an MFA in Directing from Northwestern University, is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab (2012), Victory Gardens Directors Inclusion Initiative (2017-2018), and is an Artistic Associate of Black Lives Black Words.
Krystal Ortiz
- Pronouns: she/her/hers
- Styles of puppetry? Arm-rod puppets, curious about other styles
- Website: www.krystalortiz.com
- Instagram: @krystalitacandelita
- Contact: contact submission box on website
- About: Krystal Ortiz is a Chicago-based performer and playwright originally from Miami, FL. While primarily performing theatrically, Krystal also works in voiceover, film, dance and music. Krystal has a car, valid driver's license and passport, and is always eager for the opportunity to travel for work. Her first experience with puppetry was performing in Thumbelina at Lifeline Theater in 2016, and she is hungry to work closely with puppets again. Krystal is a member of El Semillero, a writing circle hosted by the Alliance of Latino Theatre Artists (ALTA), and is currently developing a historical play called Los Frikis based on the punk rock community in Cuba during the 80s and 90s. She received a BFA in acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Krystal is represented by Stewart Talent Chicago.
Jorge Silva
- Pronouns: he/him/his
- Styles of puppetry? Various
- Website: https://www.silvartist.com
- Instagram: @silva.surfer
- Contact: reach out by email
- About: Jorge Silva is a writer/performer, producer, and the Managing Director for The Neo-Futurists (Chicago, Il). The native Chicagoan has had the privilege of presenting his work with The LIVINGroom, Pivot Arts, Salonathon, Hot Kitchen Collective, Junior Varsity, National Cool Shorts, Scout & Birdie, Story District (DC), and is a contributor to The Neo-Futurists' experimental essay show, THE ARROW. Jorge was previously a part of the Artistic Staff of the Goodman Theatre serving as the Producing Coordinator and is an Affinity Group Leader for the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund. Other affiliations include World Festival of Theatre Schools (UNESCO), Dog & Pony DC, Discovery Theater at the Smithsonian Institution, Arena Stage, Teatro Travieso, Latinos Progresando’s MEX talks Committee, and Posse Chicago’s Career Coaching program. Jorge is a graduate of Cornell University’s Advanced Undergraduate Theatre Program and holds a dual degree in Government. Available for film, voice-overs and live performance opportunities, in English and Spanish, and performs for both children and adults.
Samuel J. Lewis, II
- Pronouns: he/him/his
- Styles of puppetry? Marionettes and rod puppets
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/samlewisperformingartist
- Contact: reach out by email
- About: Sam Lewis is a Chicago-based puppeteer who is an accidental puppeteer, who creates intentional work. He has worked for over a decade with a vintage Black Americana marionette, he reimagined as, “Jus Hambone.” Currently, he’s building new puppets for the first time, with the generous help of Grace Needlman of Wonder Wagon, for a long form piece he’s creating based on newly discovered family history, tentatively titled, Everybody Knew Their Place. Entertains audiences of all ages! Available for travel and also interested in voice over, theater and film work.
Sheri Flanders
Sheri (she/her/hers) is an actor, writer, and artist, based in Chicago, IL who teaches at the Second City Training Center, Sheri is half of the interracial married sketch comedy duo Flanders, head writer of Choice the Musical, and a freelance journalist and critic whose work has appeared several publications including The Chicago Reader, Performink, McSweeney's. She is represented by NV Talent.