inc.

I’m a Michigan-native who is a playwright, actor, singer, instrumentalist, and dancer. I graduated from Oakland University with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre and an Undergraduate Thesis in Playwriting. Since moving to Chicago, I’ve performed with Theatre L’Acadie, Imposters Theatre Company, Oil Lamp Theatre, and Metropolis Performing Arts Center. My writing has been showcased at the Intermission Play Festival and Ann Arbor Civic Theatre in Michigan, so I am thrilled to have my first Chicago-based writing project be with Inc. Cubator! I am incredibly grateful for my friends and family who have encouraged me through the years and Cheez-its (for being so delicious).

Kirsten Baity (they/them) is a Chicago-based playwright, deviser, and intimacy director. Their work includes Love and Nappiness (Perception Theatre) Forest Friends & the First Day of Spring (Theatre Between Addresses), This Is Normal (Quaranstream Theatre Festival), Rage Isn’t Free: A Participatory Play (Youth Empowerment and Performance Project), and Tonin Town and Minstrelsy 2.0 (Columbia College Chicago).

They have devised plays with Goodman Theatre's Playbuild and Inergen Ensembles, About Face Youth Theatre, For Youth Inquiry, and Free Street Theater.

Intimacy directing credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Haven Chicago) Last Night and the Night Before (Steppenwolf) Tick, Tick…Boom (BoHo Theatre) The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas ( Theo Ubique Theatre ); Rent (Porchlight Music Theatre); American Psycho: The Musical, Sweeney Todd, Cruel Intentions (Kokandy Productions); Mosque4Mosque and The Magnolia Ballet (About Face Theatre) Regional credits: 9 to 5 (Metropolis Performing Arts Center) Sugar in Our Wounds, and Stonewallin’ (Richmond Triangle Players). For more info, check out kirstenbaity.com

Kevin Blair (he/him) is a gay Chicago-based actor, writer, and casting associate. On stage, Kevin has been seen with Theatre L'Acadie, Impostors Theatre Co., Three Brothers Theater, and the Chicago Music Theatre Festival. He is in the Playgound Chicago Writer's Pool, and his writing has been developed through the In Bloom series. Casting projects for theatre and film, including Possibilities Theatre, Adapted Productions, and more. Kevin is a co-creator of I HATE YOU TOO, a comedy web series. BFA in Acting from Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Collaborate with Kevin at www.kevinblair.net

Samantha Hurley is a Maine-raised, Chicago based playwright and comedy writer. Her first play, I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire premeired off-Broadway at Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre to critical acclaim and a sold out run. The play had its international debut in London at the Southwark Playhouse. I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire is published by Concord Theatricals and has been featured in Teen Vogue, Interview, and Pleaser magazine. Hurley’s original sketches have been performed at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre, Brooklyn Comedy Collective, Characters Welcome, and the People’s Improv Theatre.

Andrew Piechota is a writer, actor, and playwright from Chicago, and is a graduate of the School of Theatre and Dance at Illinois State University. His work has been developed with Avalanche Theatre Company and the Jackalope Theatre Playwrights Lab, and has received recognition from the Samuel French OOB Festival and the Normal Ave. NAPSeries. He was runner-up for Best Playwright in the Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago 2023. His writing on film has been published in Bright Wall/Dark Room.

Keegon Schuett is a gender non-conforming interdisciplinary artist from Memphis Tennessee. Their plays, Slow, Kitty Steals a Dog, Brace Yourself, Count Spatula and Goddess of Tears have been performed around the world and are published by YouthPLAYS. They are an alum of the Curious New Voices program of Curious Theatre in Denver, CO, where their adaptation, Oedipus Vexed; or Tragic Motherfucker, premiered. Keegon's play "this dry spell" was chosen by Jeremy O. Harris out of 2,000 submissions for the 2024 Yale Drama Series Prize. Their plays "Birds of a Feather", "the sound of ____", and "A Fruit Pie for Anita" have all been performed at Emerald Theatre Company in Memphis, TN. "Chicken," a COVID comedy about a couple opening their marriage during quarantine, is set to premiere at Quark Theatre in Memphis in June 2025.

Faith is a Chicago-based director, writer, and arts leader passionate about blurring the line between theatre and public life by crafting strange and beautiful worlds that transcend day-to-day mundanity and steward connection in the age of loneliness. Alongside Jill Marlow, she recently co-directed Eurydice on the Chicago River with site-specific theatre collective Snails on a Bike. Previously, she directed Krapp’s Last Tape as part of Haven Chicago’s 2024 Director’s Haven cohort. Additional Chicago directing credits include MAINTENANCE—a site-specific narrative experience centering sanitation workers—at Pivot Arts and self-produced works such as Map of Virtue, a one-woman adaptation of Elektra, and a dance variation entitled Elektra, at solstice staged immersively at Leone Beach. She is currently assistant directing Every Brilliant Thing at Writers Theatre directed by Kimberly Senior, who she assisted on ‘ART’ at the Guthrie Theater. She is excited to be back at Writers after assistant directing The Band’s Visit, directed by Zi Alikhan, earlier this season. Faith is an Education Apprentice at Northlight Theatre and upcoming credits include assistant directing P*ssy Sludge at Facility Theater and serving as the dramaturg on ‘ART’ at Remy Bumppo. She is an alumna of The Theatre School at DePaul University, the Kennedy Center Directing Intensive, and professional training with Theatrical Intimacy Education, The Neo-Futurists, and Remy Bumppo.

McManus (she/her) is a theatre maker, bodyworker, and director from Chicago. She's an ensemble member of The Impostors Theatre Co. (ITC) most notably directing for the company's annual anthology piece, Footholds. Previous directing credits include Lost & Found (ITC), Narrative Machine Broke (ITC), The Devil Taketh

Kayla is a multidisciplinary theatre artist who primarily focuses in directing and intimacy directing these days. She approaches her work from a place of compassion, communication, and consent. Deriving inspiration from her background as a dancer, Kayla creates lyrical compositions and uses breath to highlight the stories and journeys of the characters. She is drawn to non-realism and different ways to tell stories outside of the confines of what is expected. Kayla is excited by new work and the workshop process surrounding bringing a new script to life. Recent directing credits include The Meaningful Action Theatre Company Presents A Workshop Reading Of "Muffed: A Recounting Of Farmington, Maine's 43rd Annual Chester Greenwood Day Devised By The Members Of The Meaningful Action Theatre Company" (3Bros), Lavinia Andronicus is YOUR Spin Instructor (Meat Machine), and the staged reading of The Sporting Life (Understudy). Kayla is pending certification as an Intimacy Director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators. They co-founded Unheard Of Company in Chicago which specializes in bringing historically marginalized voices to the stage through the workshop and production of deeply personal new work. She directed their productions of ILY and A Hungover Confessional. They are a graduate of Cleveland State University and the directing apprenticeship program at Capital Stage in Sacramento. Connect with Kayla at www.kaylamenz.com.

Rebecca Rose Schilsky is a child at heart. She loves to get curious and explore, to question and question further, and to seek joy in everything she does. These descriptions could also paint you a picture of who she is as an artist! Originally from New York, Rebecca is a Chicago-based Director, Production Manager, & Educator: Directing for Mudlark Theater, Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble, Second City, Whiskey Radio Hour, & First Kiss Theatre; Production Managing for Jackalope Theatre, The New Coordinates, & The Moulin Rouge! Tour, and is Mudlark’s Artistic Producer. Her theatrical mission includes creating brave spaces by generating productions that entertain and educate audiences of ages 0-101! Education: Skidmore College & Second City www.rebeccabackstage.com

A recent graduate from The Theatre School at DePaul University, Liam is a multi-faceted director, dramaturg, and nerd with a passion for experimental theatre and all things queer. Their work at school includes an original immersive play, Timber (Director, Writer, Performer), Damn, I Miss the Cat (Director, Writer, Performer), Boys in the Band (Dramaturg, Assistant Director), Goosebumps the Musical (Assistant Director), Seagull (Assistant Director), and many strange and unhinged performance experiments. Since graduating they have worked with Free Street Theatre, the Nasty, Brutish, and Short Puppetry Cabaret and are currently assistant directing Sofa King Queer written by Kevin Sparrow, produced by Nothing Without a Company, and directed by JD Caudill. Liam's work catalyzes connection and inspires presence; it embraces creation of joy and beauty as a necessity of this wild and unreasonable world.

Keimon Shook is a Queer Blasian Artist who was raised In Jacksonville Florida where he attended performing arts school majoring in Theatre. He then went to and graduated from The Theatre School at DePaul University with his BFA in Acting. Upon graduating Keimon has spent time creating, directing and performing in various readings, films, and new script developments. He is passionate about queer storytelling from a POC perspective and focuses a lot on making more representation for those communities. He is grateful for the opportunity and excited to join this cohort and expand his skill set among new collaborators.

Joel Willison is a director, producer, and Arstitic Director of Pocket Theatre VR. As a producer, he focuses on new work development - curating a space for new/early-career artists to understand their craft and collaborate in community. As a Director, he is centered on telling stories that confront tradition and focus on the tension between the expectation and reality of being human.

Joel isa company member of Playground Chicago, a member of For The Group Chicago, and was selected for Directors Haven 6 in 2023. Recent credits include Assistant Directing for Mikael Burke for Tambo and Bones (2023, Refracted Theatre Company Jeff Awards - Best Direction, Best Production), The Runaways Lab Theater, Playground - Chicago, Haven, Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble, Stage Left Theatre, Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, and Virtual Theatre Collaboration. In his free time, catch Joel on the Frisbee field, where he plays for Chicago’s professional Ultimate Frisbee Team: The Chicago Union.

instagram: @willisonjoel

website: joelwillison.com

Erin Sheets is a director, producer, intimacy director, and co-Artistic Director of Theatre L'Acadie. In Chicago, Erin has worked with Trap Door Theatre, Redtwist Theatre, Big Noise Theatre, Facility Theatre, Imposters Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Artemisia Theatre, and Possibilities Theatre, among others. Notable projects include Right Now (Intimacy Director, Facility, 2023 Non-Equity Jeff Award - Best Ensemble), Motherhouse (Assistant Director, Rivendell, 2022 Equity Jeff Award - Best New Work), and the World Premiere of Bottle Fly (Intimacy Director, Redtwist). As a Director, Erin has been honored to lead recent productions such as Grey Gardens The Musical (Big Noise, 2023 Lou Award Nomination - Best Production) and the World Premiere of Today Tonight Soon by Melanie Coffey (Theatre L'Acadie). When not making theatre, Erin likes to complain about not making enough theatre. Learn more about her work at erinesheets.com!

(They/Any) Brandii is a Louisiana native but a Chicagoan at heart, and is thrilled to be one of the porducers for INC. On top of being one of Theatre L’Acadie’s (Co) Artistic Directors, Brandii is also always collaborating with super rad artists all over Chicago. Some of their recent Chicago credits include Bottle Fly (AD - Red Twist) If This is the End (Director - TL), & The Swan (Actor & Scenic Designer - TL. A lover of all things art and food, they also likes to spend their time seeing stuff (you know, theatre, traveling, exploring) and makin’ things (aka. art and food and love and messes). Brandii loves to watch scary movies and snuggle up with their stinky pets - Prue and Mackie. Check out more of their work:

instagram: @brandii.champagne 

website: brandiichampagne.com

Benjamin is a Chicago based actor / designer / writer hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas. Most recent acting credits include Partners (feature film), Grey Gardens the Musical (Big Noise Theatre), and 3 touring shows with Great Works Theatre Company. Costume design credits: Today, Tonight, Soon & The Swan (Theatre L’Acadie, *company member) and Freaky Friday the Musical (BNT).

Maddy is a Chicago-based actor, dramaturg, and creative. Dramaturgy- Time is A Color and the Color Is Blue (Avalanche Theatre), Boogie Man (Theatre L’Acadie); Down in the Face of God (UNCSA). Directing- How to Kill A Rodent (Avalanche Theatre); Assistant Directing- The Writer (Steep Theatre), Love Song (Remy Bumppo) Acting- The Singularity Play (Jackalope, understudy);Trial in the Delta (Collaboraction); Heathers: The Musical, How to Make Friends and Then Kill Them, Love and Depositions (UNCSA).

Joseph is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and performer based out of Chicago. A graduate of Second City's Conservatory, Joseph is most recently known for producing the award-winning cult comedy, Rat Mass, at The Annoyance Theatre which played at Edinburgh Fringe in August. He also contributed to Broken Planet at Edinburgh Fringe, and regularly writes and performs theatre and comedy across Chicago. Please inquire about purchasing Joseph's visual art.