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Stephen Leaver, Executive Director
Mr. Leaver has been with Imagination Theater since 1998 when he first joined as an ensemble member. He served as the Associate Artistic Director from 2001-2003, Artistic Director from 2003-2009, and Executive Artistic Director from 2009-2016. During his tenure with Imagination Theater, Mr. Leaver has designed countless customized programs for schools, colleges, and corporations. He has overseen all aspects of the company since 2009. In addition to his work at Imagination Theater Mr. Leaver has been teaching at the Metropolis School of Performing Arts since 2002. He has taught acting classes for all ages and directed student productions of The Laramie Project and The Dining Room. He also directed the Metropolis production of The Diary of Anne Frank. From 2008-2012, Mr. Leaver served on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Theatre Association where he was representing Theater for Young Audiences. Through his work at the ITA, Mr. Leaver helped to coordinate the Theater In Our Schools conferences every March held in partnership with the American Alliance for Theatre in Education. Mr. Leaver served on the advisory committee through Arts Alliance Illinois where we worked on revising the Illinois Arts Learning Standards that were recently approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. Mr. Leaver graduated Cum Laude from Illinois State University where he holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Theater.
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Dimokratia Michalopoulos, Artistic Director
Dimokratia has been working with Imagination Theater since 2012 and is excited to continue educating audiences through theater. Demi graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelors Degree in Musical Theater Performance. Other than teaching with Imagination Theater, Demi works as a vocalist in various bands around the city including Cagen Entertainment and with her own acoustic soul trio, For the People. She is also a yoga instructor and has completed a 500 Hour Yoga Teaching Certification. She has found that music, mindfulness, and theater are all intertwined and she constantly learns and borrows things from the yoga room and the stages she sings on and incorporates them in assemblies and classrooms when teaching young audiences. She feels very blessed to be able to do what she loves!.
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Nina O’Keefe, Development Coordinator
Nina O’Keefe joined IT in 2014 as a development associate working on grants and fundraising. Previously, she ran the Education and Outreach Department for Lookingglass Theatre Company for six years. Nina is an Artistic Associate with Sideshow Theatre Company, and an actress. She is also a certified Early Childhood Educator, with over 10 years of teaching experience..
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Cliff Ruemmler, Bookkeeper
Cliff joined Imagination Theater in February 2010. Mr. Ruemmler is Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”) and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Ruemmler has 15+ years of experience working with public and privately held companies as an auditor, information technology specialist and program director with such companies as Ernst & Young LLP (senior manager); and Equity Office Properties Trust (Director of Program Management). Mr. Ruemmler is currently a stay-at-home dad and donates a significant amount of his time to various PTO’s and community organizations on the north shore of Chicago. Mr. Ruemmler received his Bachelors of Accountancy and Bachelors of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of Oklahoma in 1988.
