Devin Christor (he/him) is a director focused on plays that create a discussion. Since receiving his B.A in Drama from the University of North Texas he has traveled the country working for several professional theatres to observe established directors and study the ecology of regional theatre in America. He was recently the Directing Resident at Milwaukee Rep, where he directed Julius Caesar & God of Carnage and assisted directed Indivisible With. Other directing credits include The Damage of Doing it Alone (Gloucester Stage Company “Young Playwrights” Festival), and Oba (Triangle Rainbow Productions “LGBTQ Short Play” Festival), The Gift of the Magi (American Players Theatre). He is the Founder of Nomad Street Theatre, a nomadic site-specific theatre company, that uses plays in the kitchen sink drama or well made play format. He wants to make Chicago his home base and believes Victory Gardens DII can be a great starting point.
Archives: Team Members
Grace Dolezal-Ng
Grace Dolezal-Ng (she/her) is a Chicago based actor/director who is passionate about building empathy and generating empowerment through visceral storytelling in live theatre. She firmly believes that to be a good artist is first and foremost to be a good and curious human. She graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Theatre in June 2020. As a director, she recently independently produced and directed a virtual production of Death For Sydney Black, and has worked with the Goodman Theatre, Dragon Productions, Contra Costa Civic Theatre, Lime Arts Productions, and many others. She will serve as a Directing Fellow at Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, FL in February of 2022. Grace is a proud recipient of the Herb Alpert Emerging Young Artist Award. www.gracedn.com
Arti Ishak
Arti Ishak (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist and community organizer, recently named a 2020 3Arts Make A Wave Artist. Directing credits include the workshop reading of Mosque4Mosque (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), short films Shukran Bas (Means of Productions), Sun On Ice (Jackalope), BaLa (HF Productions). Their recent acting credits include The Best Decision You Ever Made (The Second City), KISS (Haven), Venus in Fur (Circle), Witch (Writers), Buried Child (Writers), Men on Boats (American Theater Company), Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno (The Second City). TV: Chicago Med (NBC). Arti is staff with The Chicago Inclusion Project, an instructor at Black Box Acting, and an organizer with SWANASA Central. They are represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. www.artiishak.com
André Teamer
André Teamer (he/him) Victory Gardens: Sucker Punch. Other Chicago credits include: Sweat (Goodman Theatre), Ruined (Eclipse Theatre), The Trial of Moses Fleetwood Walker (Black Ensemble Theatre), Pantomime (Pegasus Players), Jitney (Court Theatre), and Warm On The Coolingboard (MPAACT). He been proud company member of MPAACT (Ma’at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre) for over 15 years. His television and film credits include; Axis Mundi, The Christmas Tree, Love Shorts, Market Value, Spokes, The Playboy Club, Chicago Med, Chicago PD (NBC), and Empire (FOX). André is represented by Paonessa Talent and NV Talent for voice-over.
Terry Guest
Terry Guest (he/him) is a Chicago based playwright, actor and teaching artist. He wrote and starred in At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen which was the recipient of the 2018 Out Front Spectrum Series Grant and had its World Premiere in Chicago at The Story Theatre. Other acting credits include: Incendiary (Goodman Theatre), Wolves (Exit 63), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Alliance Theatre), A Child’s Garden of Verses (Alliance Theatre), Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet (Actors Express). Terry’s writing work includes: A Ghost in Satin (The Williamstown Theatre Festival), Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes (The Story Theatre), The Magnolia Ballet (About Face, Spring 2022), and The Madness of Mary Todd. Follow along on Instagram @terryexplainsitall or at www.terrycguest.com.
Eddie Martinez
Eddie Martinez (he/him) Ensemble member of Teatro Vista seen in Parachute Men, Fade, and Hope (Victory Gardens and The Den Theatre) Other credits include: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Steppenwolf) Native Gardens ( The Old Globe) Fade (Denver Center, Cherry Lane, and TheaterWorks), As You Like It (Denver Center) Big Lake Big City, Cascabel (Lookingglass Theater); Rightlynd (Victory Gardens) Our Lady of 121st Street(Steppenwolf); and Romeo y Julieta (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Film/TV credits include: Sense8 (Netflix), Sirens (USA Network), Chicago Fire (NBC) Shameless (Showtime) and The Dilemma (UNIVERSAL).
Adia Alli
Adia Alli (she/her) is a Nigerian-born, Michigan-raised artist, educator, and administrator. Some Chicago credits include: School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play (Goodman Theatre); The Niceties (Writers Theatre, u/s); United Flight 232 (The House Theatre of Chicago); Cardboard Piano (TimeLine Theatre); The Escape (Art Institute of Chicago); No Child… (Definition Theatre Company); and The Doppelganger (Steppenwolf Theatre, u/s). Adia plays Danielle in the web-series Seeds! She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, a specialization in African American and African Studies, and a minor in Economics from Michigan State University. Represented by Gray Talent Group.
Jamila Tyler
Jamila Tyler (she/her) makes her Victory Gardens Theater debut with Tokens of Promise. Chicago Credits Include: Pomona (Steep Theatre), The Good Years (Definition Theatre), HeLa (Sideshow Theatre), Oedipus Rex (Court Theatre), Cry it Out (Northlight Theatre).
Sarah Lo
SARAH LO (she/her). Victory Gardens Theatre: Cambodian Rock Band (u/s Neary) and The Bottoming Process (Rosie). Other Chicago credits include: Deck the Hallmark (2021, Second City), Happy Birthday Mars Rover (The Passage Theatre), Mlima’s Tale (Griffin Theatre), South Pacific (Drury Lane), M. Butterfly (Court Theatre), and You For Me For You (u/s Sideshow Theatre). TV/Film credits include: The Chair (Netflix), Candyman (Monkeypaw/Universal), Chicago Med (NBC), Utopia (Amazon), Christmas Again (Disney Channel), and Station Eleven (HBOMax). Sarah is a proud graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and the University of Chicago.
Sammy Brown
Sammy Brown (he/him) makes his Victory Gardens Theater debut with Tokens of Promise. Chicago Credits include: SIX (North American premier), SS! Macbeth, Nell Gwynn, Peter Pan (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Off-Broadway: The Old Man & The Old Moon (New Victory Theater). Off-Off Broadway: Summer Valley Fair (NYMF). Regional: Madwoman in a Volvo, District Merchants (South Coast Repertory); Constellations (Lake Dillon Theatre co.), A Chorus Line (Mill Mountain Theatre). International: Blazin’ Boots, Swing!, Get Down Tonight (Norwegian Cruise Line). MFA: University of California, Irvine.