Author: ChiArts Communications

Thanks to the generosity of two ChiArts parents – Jon and Lisa Seda – 54 theatre students attended a performance of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton on June 1. The opportunity created such excitement, generating a waiting list of students hoping to catch the chance to see this Tony-award winning production. 

This is one of several ways Jon Seda, an actor known for his roles in Chicago Justice, P.D., and Fire, among others, hopes to give back to the community. With an interest in providing opportunities for youth, Seda hopes to lift economic barriers and provide students with life-altering experiences such as seeing this world-class production. In hopes of furthering his efforts to serve Chicago youth, Seda recently began a non-profit organization, The Boxing Theater Foundation, an idea inspired by his passion and involvement in the sport which began long before his on-screen career and his passion for the arts. The foundation will help expose other non-profit organizations throughout the city of Chicago that encourage and invest in today’s youth through various artistic opportunities and help in creating tomorrow’s Champions “One Round at a Time.”

 

We are thrilled to welcome Annie Calhoun as our new Theatre Department Head. She was a founding teacher at ChiArts and has a deep love for the school’s mission. She will succeed Rob Chambers, our Founding Theatre Department Head, who is moving to Arizona to lead the theatre department at Arizona School for the Arts.

Ms. Calhoun holds degrees in education and theatre. She returns to Chicago after five years teaching, directing and performing in Los Angeles. In LA, Ms. Calhoun taught and directed at the Professional, Collegiate (USC), and High School (LA County HS for the Arts) levels; she also founded an inner city theatre program for middle schoolers in South LA. She is a playwright whose pieces have been performed on stages all over Los Angeles and an actor whose work ranges from theater and film, to improv and stand up comedy.

A Chicago native, she is rooted in our values of play, ensemble, high standards and creative new work. The breadth and depth of her expertise in education and theatre offer a vast array of skills from classroom management and facilitating diversity, equity & inclusion to building ensemble among students and staff, and measuring student growth outcomes. Ms. Calhoun will begin her tenure in the fall for the 2017-18 school year!