Our Mission
The Chicago Inclusion Project exists to facilitate inclusive experiences and hiring practices throughout Chicago theatre.
Staff
Emjoy Gavino (Founder, Executive Director, Casting Associate)
She / Her / Hers
Emjoy has performed with A Red Orchid Theatre, The Gift Theatre Company, Court Theatre, Second City, Northlight Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens, Broadway Playhouse, Lookingglass, Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Studio Theatre, ACT, 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, The Guthrie Theatre, Penobscot Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage and The Getty Villa. Emjoy is a 3Arts Make A Wave grantee, recipient of the 3Arts Lipkin Award and a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf.
Elana Elyce (Business Manager)
She / Her / Hers
Elana is from Detroit, MI and has been living, performing, writing, coaching and directing in and around Chicago since 2007.
www.elanaelyce.net
Abhi Shrestha (Community Organizer)
They / Them / Theirs
Abhi is a Chicago based theatre educator and dramaturg originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. They are the Director of Education and Engagement at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Resident Dramaturg and Community Organizer for the Chicago Inclusion Project, and a proud board member of the Illinois Caucus of Adolescent Health. Abhi has spent 7+ years cultivating a theatrical and administrative practice that champions youth agency and empowerment. Abhi believes deeply in the liberatory power of arts education and views theatre as a civic engagement modality.
Stephanie Díaz (Casting Associate / Grant Writer)
She / Her / Hers
Stephanie Diaz is an award-winning actor, puppetry artist and writer based in Chicago. As a puppeteer, she specializes in Bunraku-style tabletop and shadow puppetry, and has designed for various Chicago theatre and dance companies in addition to her own critically-acclaimed signature piece, Mariposa Nocturna: A Puppet Triptych, which opened the inaugural Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and enjoyed several sold-out runs in Chicago. Her work as an actor in English and Spanish spans theatre, TV and voiceover. She has worked regionally in theatre throughout the country, most recently as Poncia in ¡BERNARDA! (Teatro Vista/Steppenwolf) and can currently be seen as Catalina Torres on Chicago PD (NBC). She is currently at work writing an upcoming season of the scripted horror podcast Undertow (Dagaz Media and Realm.fm). The recipient of numerous grants and residencies, she was most recently a 2023 Fellow at Santa Fe Art Institute. She is a 3Arts Awardee, a member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA, and a proud Guatemalan-American.
Arti Ishak (Facilitator)
They / Them / Theirs
Arti Ishak is an actor, director and writer. Acting credits include The Best Decision You Ever Made, Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno (The Second City); KISS (Haven); Venus in Fur (Circle); Witch, Buried Child (Writers); Men on Boats (American Theater Company). TV: Southside (HBO); Dark Matter (Apple TV); Chicago Med (NBC). Directing credits include short films Shukran Bas (Means of Productions), ba la (HF Productions), HALF (ZAXIE); Theatre: Same Sects (Haven Chicago), Hatefuck (First Floor Theatre). Arti is a facilitator with The Chicago Inclusion Project, an instructor at Black Box Acting and adjunct at The Theatre School at DePaul. They are represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. www.artiishak.com
Adelina Feldman-Schultz (Facilitator / Casting Associate)
She / Her / Hers
Adelina Feldman-Schultz is an Argentine-American casting director, actor, and consultant lucky to live and work in Chicago. She is a proud member of The Chicago Inclusion Project, serving as both Co-Program Manager of the Active Anti-Racism training workshop and as a Casting Assistant. As one of the co-founders of the annual Chicago Inclusion Auditions (formerly Chicago Theatre Access Auditions,) Adelina has helped introduce dozens of Theatres to hundreds of up-and-coming Chicago actors. Casting credits include Teatro Vista (Bernarda, Enough to Let the Light In, Somewhere Over the Border,) UrbanTheater Company (Chicago Lore(s), Brujaja!, Back in the Day,) Adventure Stage Chicago (La Ofrenda, Roots in the Alley,) CLATA (Inicios Series), First Floor Theatre (In His Hands, Pro-Am, Hatefuck, Botticelli in the Fire,) Firebrand Theatre and several web series, short films, and commercials. 2018 Nominee, 2019 Winner, ALTA Award: Casting Direction. Proud Jew for a Free Palestine.
Greg Geffrard (Facilitator)
He / Him / His
Greg is an educator, scholar, activist, actor, and facilitator who is dedicated to the empowerment of historically dehumanized populations and the creation of opportunities for radical joy. He has dedicated his time and energy to cultivating spaces of acceptable risk for artists of all ages and levels of experience. In addition to having a background in Sexual Assault Prevention, he is an Intimacy Director and is Guiding Faculty with Theatrical Intimacy Education. He enjoys reading/performing poetry and all things boxing. and food!
Jessica Vann (Facilitator)
She / Her / Hers
Jess is a multi-careered woman who is an actor, entrepreneur, singer and podcast host of Tomfoolery and Shenanigans w/ Jess Vann. Hailing from Lansing, MI. She received a B.S. in Theatre and interpretation from Central Michigan University and an M.A. in Training and Development from Roosevelt University. She balances her time running her business Creative Spaces which provides arts based leadership and professional development workshops/keynotes for emerging veteran leaders in various work sectors. Being an artist, and working in youth development and social impact. It would be safe to say she wears many hats and continues to find self discovery and joy in all of them. Learn more about Jess Vann and jessvanncreates.com
*staff portraits photographed by Joe Mazza at Brave Lux Photography (exceptions: headshots of Adelina & Greg)
Board of Directors
Behzad Dabu
He/Him/His
Behzad is an actor, producer, and writer based in Los Angeles. He grew up in Syracuse, NY and got his BFA in Acting from Columbia College Chicago. He originated the role of 'Amit' in Samsara at Victory Gardens Theatre and 'Abe' in the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated play, Disgraced which he performed at American Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, Seattle Repertory, and the Mark Taper Forum at Center Theatre Group. He has worked extensively on stage at some of the best theaters in the country, especially in Chicago and LA, and is a proud company member at TimeLine Theatre Company. TV: How To Get Away With Murder, The Chi, The Lion Guard, The Good Place, All Rise, Chicago P.D., Drive Share, You're So Talented, Dealbreakers / Film:Mirage, Star Vehicle, Weathering, Pick Up, Hoop, King Rat, Imperfection.
Behzad is the Director of Acting for Hillman Grad, a faculty member at Last Acting Studio, and the Acting Coach for the TV series The CHI. behzaddabu.com
Lavina Jadhwani
She/Her/Hers
Lavina is a Chicago-based director, adaptor, and activist. Her adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol premiered at the Guthrie in Minneapolis in 2021 and will remain on the boards for years to come. Other plays include Shakuntala (Goodman Theatre -- FutureLabs, OSF Writers Group), The Secret Garden (Cunningham Commission -- The Theatre School at DePaul University, O'Neill NPC semi-finalist), and The Sitayana (EastWest Players/EnActe Arts/Hypokrit Productions). Commissions include Indianapolis Shakes, Cincinnati Shakes, the Hypocrites, and Jackalope Theatre. As a director she has worked at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Guthrie, Mixed Blood, PlayMakers Rep, the Rep of St. Louis, Asolo Rep, the Gift Theatre, the Neo-Futurists, Silk Road Rising, Teatro Vista, and Rasaka Theatre Company, where she served as Artistic Director for 7 years. Her theatre training includes a well-rounded education (BFA in Scenic Design and MA in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon; MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University), numerous fellowships (OSF's Phil Killian Directing Fellowship, the O’Neill/NNPN's National Directors Fellowship, the Drama League's Classical Directing Fellowship, SDCF, Old Globe), and more than two decades of professional experience.
Anish Jethmalani
He/Him/His
Anish is a company member of TimeLine Theatre (Campaigns, Inc., Oslo, Blood and Gifts, Inana, A Disappearing Number, In the Next Room..., The Lehman Trilogy). Chicago stage credits include Wit , A Christmas Carol (Goodman); Water by the Spoonful, Titus Andronicus, Mary Stuart, The Invention of Love, Life's a Dream (Court); Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare); Rightlynd (Victory Gardens); Bengal Tiger..., Around the World in 80 Days, Sita Ram (Lookingglass); The Caretaker, To the Green Fields Beyond (Writers); Hatfield & McCoy (House); The Father and Great Expectations (Remy Bumppo); The Room (A Red Orchid); Twelfth Night (First Folio); Merchant on Venice (Silk Road Rising); Omnium Gatherum (Next). Regional Credits: Henry VIII, Much Ado About Nothing (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). Anish has directed at 16th Street, Eclipse and Rasaka. He is the former Artistic Director of Eclipse Theatre Company and Rasaka Theatre Company in addition to having served on the board of The League of Chicago Theatres. Film /TV: Batman v Superman, Girl on the Third Floor, Animals, Station Eleven, Empire, Chicago PD/Med, APG, Boss, Leverage, Early Edition. Anish holds a BA degree in Theatre from Loyola University of Chicago and is a graduate of The Oxford School of Drama.
Jeff Trainor
He/Him/His
Jeff Trainor is an actor and a founding member of the The Chicago Inclusion Project. He has been seen in the Chicago productions of Seven Sicknesses (The Hypocrites) , South of Settling (Steppenwolf Theatre) That’s Weird Grandma (Playmakers Laboratory), Roadkill Confidential (Dog and Pony), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Writer’s Theatre), Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play (Theater Wit) , Troilus and Cressida and Cymbeline (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre). Jeff received his M.F.A in Acting from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He now lives in Princeton, New Jersey and performs his Storytime events during the year for local families.
Access Advisory Board
Founding Collective
Victor Cole
Richard Costes
Aly Easton
Terri Hudson
Cyra Polizzi
Danny Bernardo
Ben Chang
Behzad Dabu
Stephanie Diaz
Elana Elyce
Emjoy Gavino
Todd Garcia
Delia Kropp
Yunuen Pardo
Artistic Advisors
Sandra Marquez
Michael Patrick Thornton
Partners
We are proud to have partnered with
The League of Chicago Theatres, The Chicago Cultural Alliance and Brave Lux Photography.
