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Aiya
Aiya (any pronouns) is a nonbinary actor who is thrilled to start their professional theatre career with Imagination Theatre! Aiya was born and raised in St. Louis. They moved to Chicago to study acting and recently graduated with a Theatre BA from Columbia College Chicago. Their favorite roles have been with Columbia as “Chelle” in Detroit ’67 and “Claudia” in The Bluest Eye. Outside of the theatre, she enjoys long walks exploring new areas in the city. Aiya is beyond excited to do more work expressing important topics to young audiences!
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Annalise
Annalise (They/Them) is a trans, non-binary actor and singer who is so excited to jumpstart their professional theatre career with Imagination Theatre! Credits that they are most excited about include Cinderella in Into The Woods, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, and Kaliope in She Kills Monsters. They are a major lover of Shakespeare and very much want to show you their new Ophelia tattoo! Coming into their gender identity during quarantine, they are now ecstatic to explore it more in dream roles such as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. In their spare time they love to cuddle their handsome miniature goldendoodle, Ferdinand, and take lots of naps. Oh, they’re also a Pisces, if that means anything to you.
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August
August (They/Them) is an actor, playwright, and educator. They received their BFA in Acting from Minnesota State University of Mankato in 2014. Since moving to Chicago August has worked with several companies including Babes with Blades, Broken Nose Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, (re)discover theatre, Midsommer Flight, 16th Street Theater, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Idle Muse, and 20% Theatre Company. August is an Artistic Associate with Oak Park Festival Theatre, and an Artistic Affiliate with Babes with Blades Theatre Company. August’s plays have premiered throughout Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and California. August is represented by Big Mouth Talent.
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Coco
Coco is a graduate of Northwestern University with a BA in Theatre, Dance, and Art History with a certificate in Music Theatre and a TYA module. Her Northwestern performance credits include, “Man of La Mancha,” “The Tempest,” “Me…Jane,” “Frida,” “Working,” “Seussical” and “Matilda.” At NU, Coco has recently choreographed an two original dance pieces. One titled “Gertle, Come Back” inspired by her summer training with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company and research on the intersection of Judaism and movement. The second, a one woman show titled “Pillars of Pages,” inspired by the story of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Coco is currently an ensemble member of Imagination Theatre, performing for kids across the Chicago school districts.
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Cosmo
Cosmo is extremely happy to be in the Imagination Theater Ensemble! Cosmo originally hails from the suburbs of Chicago, but he recently spent four years in central Illinois where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Art at Illinois College, Jacksonville. While attending college, he taught improv to children through the United Way’s Imagination Foundation (Jacksonville, IL) and was an Emcee at Green Pastures Performing Arts Camp (Meredosia, IL). He has also performed in multiple productions through Illinois College’s TheatreWorks (Jacksonville, IL) and New Salem’s Theatre in the Park (Petersburg, IL), but some of his most recent credits include “Joe” in Angels in America, “Eddie Ryan” in Do Black Patent Shoes Really Reflect Up, and “BB” in Terminal Cafe. Since moving to Chicago in 2017, he has enrolled in the Conservatory and Sketch Writing Program at Second City, the Professional School of Improvisation at CSz, and the improv program at iO.
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Duane
After moving to Chicago in 2013, Duane started his adventures in improv and comedy after working and playing in the theatre and music scenes in Dallas, Texas for many years. He has appeared in a variety of short films, commercials, and web series, and performed on Chicago stages at iO Theater, The Second City, Stage 773, Theatre Momentum, Profiles Theatre, and Collaboraction Theatre. Once he renews his busking license, you might catch Duane at a red line station providing the soundtrack for your commute to work.
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Gina
Gina (she/her/hers) is a recent BA Theatre graduate from Loyola University Chicago and is thrilled to be making her Chicago Theatre debut with Imagination Theatre. Originally from the Bay Area in California, Gina has always loved art in every way. Alongside performing, Gina finds herself making coffee, cooking, going on walks, looking for new directing opportunities, and writing poetry or plays inspired by the world around her. Her passion for social justice advocacy and using the stage to tell stories is truly what keeps her artistic spirit alive!
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Jordan
Jordan (he/they) is a Chicago-based dance artist/athlete, actor, teaching artist, tenor II, and creative entrepreneur. He is a public health pharmacist turned artist with a black belt in Shotokan Karate. J.RO is a grateful guest in House and Hip-hop dance, a 2024 graduate of The ACADEMY at Black Box Acting, and a Chicago improv student with the Annoyance Theater. He is the executive director & co-founder of Jus.Be House Collective and Concrete Circle, a four-time dancer & co-captain for the Chicago Bulls 312 Crew, and two-time NBA Allstar Weekend (ESPN) featured dancer. Other credits/affiliations include BraveSoul Movement, Movement Revolution, Chicago Dance Crash, Pippen (Music Theater Works), Tems (ESPN), Kidnapped for Klout (48 Hours Film Festival), and The Big Leap (FOX).
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Madison
Madison (they/them) is pumped to start their first year with Imagination Theater, and they are excited to make a positive impact on our future generations! Madison is an Actor Combatant with the SAFD, and during the pandemic fell in love with writing and devising. You might recognize them from their work around Chicago with other companies such as: The Raven, The Plagiarists, Kerfuffle Theater for the Very Young, The Connecting Routes Project, and Theater Momentum. Madison would like to thank their friends, family, partner, and cats for supporting their career!
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Olivia
Olivia is ecstatic to be joining Imagination Theater this season! A 2024 graduate of Elmhurst University where she studied Spanish, History, and Theater, Olivia works as a community Spanish teacher at local park districts and a children’s theater director while not performing with IT. As a Spanish speaker, Olivia is most excited to reach more Spanish speaking students with IT and combine her bilingual skills with her passion for theater. She also is enthusiastic about using her teaching experience to help facilitate unique learning opportunities with IT. Some of Olivia’s favorite recent projects include working as an director/mentor to student directors for Timothy Christian School’s Monster Theater Fest (2023) and Adventurefest (2024) programs, performing in Head over Heels (2023) at Steel Beam Theater , and working as a props designer on Elmhurst University’s production of Silent Sky (2023), for which she received a KCACTF certificate of excellence. In her free time, Olivia enjoys spending time outdoors on long walks.
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Pedro
Pedro (he/him) is Puerto Rican and grew up around the world. A Graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, credits include Killing of a Gentleman Defender directed and written by Carlos Murillo (Martín) and Lottery Day directed by Carla Stillwell (Ezekiel). Professional credits include The Last Remain of the DoDo (Kaput), written and directed by Ike Holter and Twelfth Night at Oak Park Festival Theatre (u/s Aguecheek) directed by Peter Andersen. When he’s not on stage, he loves training Mixed Martial Arts, singing, playing instruments, and writing.
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PJ
PJ is a Chicago native and has been working in the theatre industry since 2015. After graduating with a BA in theatre he moved back to the city where he has worked with different theatrical companies. You can now find him doing improv and stand-up here in the city as well as working with the mental health organization The Cornerstore Chicago. He is so excited to be creating great moments with Imagination Theater. Here’s to a great year!
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Nick
Nick is a host, storyteller, voiceover, and a community builder. Born a
hype man and a ball of pure energy, Nick moved to Chicago in 2013 to pursue
improv, and standup comedy at the renowned second city from Atlanta. Since his
tenured nick has appeared in commercials, industrial work, performed at several
open mics and spoken words. His passion is giving back, in 2019 he co-founded
a collective Allocation Chicago served to support and amplify marginalized voices
in Chicago. Nick’s life motto is “Every day is a winding Road!” which he believes
faithfully.
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Samantha
Samantha has lived, worked, and played all over the country. Since making Chicago her home, she’s done a lot of cool stuff with a lot of cool people, including, but not limited to American Immersion Theatre, Great Works Theatre Company, and Random Acts Chicago. She’s a big fan of cozy mysteries and spicy food.
