Claudia Alick

Claudia Alick (she/they) is a performer, producer, designer, writer, and inclusion expert. She is currently a curator and access doula with The CripTech Incubator and CripTech GrayArea Metaverse. She is founding producer of the transmedia social justice company CALLING UP whose projects include Producing in Pandemic, The Every 28 Hours Plays, We Charge Genocide TV, Justice Producers, Co-artistic direction of The BUILD Convening with FoolsFURY, Directing a digital productions of Electra with Access Classics, Digital Design of The Festival of Masks with LA Commons, F the Gala, Gaming4Justice on Twitch, partnering with Trek Table as producer and on camera talent, in addition to building and facilitating the Mosiac Network (an alternative to facebook for BIPOC theaters and funders). Claudia acts as a consultant to funders and companies around the country. She served as co-president of the board of NET for 7 years, an advisor for the National Theater project for 6 years and co-produced Unsettling Dramaturgy (crip and indigenous international digital colloquium), and is an advisor to Howlround Digital Theater Commons. She has performed with NY Neofuturists, and on many podcasts and livestreams. Public speaking highlights include On Pleasure Activism with Disability Visibility Project + Integrated Community Services, AI for the People Black in 2042, and The Smithsonian Afrofuturism Series: Claiming Space, A Symposium on Black Futures. Her online racial justice practice is reaching thousands weekly. She is producing performances of justice on stage, online, and in real life.

Simone Brazzini

Simone Brazzini is a multihyphenate actor born in Lima, Peru, raised in Dallas, Texas, and currently based in Los Angeles. They hold a BFA in Acting and a minor in Film Production from DePaul University. Recent on screen credits include Vayle in the pilot Wizdom filmed at Chicago’s CineCity studios and Gael in a Wedding to Diego, a queer rom-com shot in Portland, OR. Recent regional theatre credits: Luciérnagas (National Queer Theatre), Sapience (San Diego Rep), and (trans)formanada (Stages) directed by Virginia Grise. Select Theatre School credits: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Christopher), How to Clean Your Room (and remember all your trauma) (Spencer),  Polaroid Stories (Echo), and Tall Enough (Asia) at the Merle Reskin. Other than acting, Simone loves rock climbing, hiking, writing poetry, creating music and generally moseying around in nature.

Simone’s passion for inclusion in media prompted them to found Vibes Video, a production company centering BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Neurodiverse voices. They aim to tell stories rooted in authenticity regardless of medium or genre. Recent productions include: One of the Boys (a queer sitcom pilot), It’s Alive! (a comedic sketch), and The Lamp (a short drama). Currently, Vibes Video is working on getting their feature, My Name is Blue (a queer/neurodivergent coming-of-age), off the ground.

Tina Childress

Dr. Tina Childress is an audiologist, advocate, late-deafened adult, bilateral cochlear implant user fluent in ASL and self-proclaimed Communication Access Engineer. She is also an award-winning presenter, adjunct lecturer and mentor for children and adults, and is active on various local, state, and national Boards and Committees as well as social media. She is renowned for her knowledge on assistive technology and accessibility, and creating shared resources at http://TinaChildressAuD.com She noticed many years ago that there were too many instances when patrons didn’t understand their rights or that a certain accessibility option was available. This led her to numerous opportunities over the years to try various forms of accessibility equipment, provide feedback to venues, educate them about accommodations with a focus on assistive technologies, and discuss effective ways to get this information to patrons. Dr. Childress has presented extensively on these topics and has also created resources for others to share and use. In her “spare” time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially if it involves partaking in the cultural arts or spontaneous singing and music enjoyment.

See.Hear.Communication.Matters. is the name of Childress’s website where she disseminates resources, and information, and writes blog posts about accessibility for individuals who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.

Aly Easton

Aly Easton is an actor, director, and disability consultant from Los Angeles. Her theatrical endeavors began at a young age when she would direct and star in mini-performances with her siblings and friends for their parents or for the cameras (secretly hoping to win America's Funniest Home Videos someday). Throughout her young life, Aly cultivated a love of improv and musicals, as well as a passion for access and inclusion. Aly received her BA in Theater Arts and Psychology from Azusa Pacific University, then moved to Italy where she studied Deaf Theater as a Fulbright scholar.
Upon returning to the US, Aly worked with A Noise Within Theater Company, The Chance Theater, Inland Valley Repertory Company, and more, and was a company member with Ophelia's Jump Productions. She adapted, produced, and directed an award-winning workshop of "Romeo and Juliet: An ASL Love Story" for the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2014, and the full version for Ophelia's Jump Productions in 2018.
Aly made the move to Chicago to pursue her MFA in Acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University, and graduated in June 2022. Here, she has worked as an actor and disability consultant with The Theatre School, The Gift Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre Company. She is an adjunct teacher at Roosevelt University, focusing on theater and social justice. As an artist-advocate, her mission is to cultivate community, facilitate education, and promote accessibility and inclusivity. Connect with Aly on social media at @AlwaysAlyEaston.

Tsehaye Geralyn Hébert

Tsehaye Geralyn Hébert is a Northwestern University and School of the Art Institute Chicago alum. At SAIC, Hébert chronicled a century of local history in The Chicago Quartet. Each work earned distinction, including winning the Alliance Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition for The C. A Lyons Project. Hébert is the first African American woman and first person with a disability to do so and the first alum of both institutions to have won. The C. A. Lyons Project world premier (The Alliance Theatre) won four of its five 2015 Suzy Bass nominations. A Sundance Theatre finalist (Tale of the Lychee Woman), Chicago Quarterly Review #33, An Anthology of Black American Literature (Charles Johnson Ph.D, ed. 2022) published her short story (“Off the Wall”). “Last Night I Went to Vietnam” was shortlisted Frank McCourt Essay Contest. Hébert is one of 80 poets selected internationally to celebrate Gwendolyn Brooks’ 80th birthday. She was playwright-in-residence at Chicago State University; and artist-in-residence at Valparaiso, and Evanston Public Schools. The citizen playwright founded Cook Jail County Women Writers Workshop. She was lead instructor with After School Matters and Young Chicago Authors. Hébert is a member of The Dramatist Guild, Black Theatre Network, and a past president of the African American Arts Alliance. Hébert is active in artists’ housing, accessibility, inclusion and arts engagement initiatives (Community of the Arts; Artists Design the Future; Disability Lead; the Cultural Collaborative; IIT IPRO) and member of Disabilities Future/Sacred Spaces performance initiative.

MoMo Holt

Monique Holt, known as MoMo with both “M” in UPPERCASE. She is in her third year as a tenure-track Theater Professor at Gallaudet University, the only Deaf bi-lingual university in the world, in Washington, DC. She got her BFA from Tisch School of the Arts majoring in Acting and her MFA from Towson University majoring in devised theater. She wrote her thesis: “Universal Design in Theatrical Presentation” which complements her thesis production: Are Your Ears Blind? She constantly explores how to turn “accessibility” into an art form.

MoMo, also known as MoMo, is a dynamic and innovative Theater Professor, currently in her third year as a tenure-track faculty member at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Gallaudet University stands as the world's singular bilingual university, dedicated to the Deaf community. Monique Holt's passion for the theatrical arts and her commitment to making them accessible for all have made her a vital part of the institution's academic landscape.

MoMo's journey in the world of theater began with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, which she earned at the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, where she specialized in the Grotowski Technique in Acting. Her commitment to her craft led her to further academic pursuits, culminating in a Master of Fine Arts from Towson University, with a focus on devised theater.

MoMo's academic journey was marked by her insightful research and creativity. Her master's thesis, "Universal Design in Theatrical Presentation," not only demonstrated her commitment to making theater inclusive but also showcased her dedication to artistic excellence. This research was not limited to theory; it found expression in her thesis production, "Are Your Ears Blind?" A testament to her ability to turn theory into breathtaking, thought-provoking artistic practice.

One of MoMo's distinguishing qualities is her unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of accessibility in the world of theater. Her unique approach seeks to redefine accessibility as an art form in itself, challenging norms and championing inclusivity. MoMo's work has not only impacted her students but has also created ripples throughout the theatrical community, advocating for greater diversity and accessibility in the performing arts.

As a passionate educator and an advocate for universal design in the arts, MoMo Holt is a trailblazer, constantly exploring and expanding the horizons of theatrical accessibility, and her contributions are sure to leave a lasting impact on the world of theater.

Terri Hudson

Terri Lynne Hudson is a disabled, chronically ill queer actor and multidisciplinary artist and disability rights advocate living and working in Chicago. She has a BA in General Studies in the Humanities concentrating in theatre, film and dramatic literature, from University of Chicago. She has studied at Second City, Vagabond School of the Arts and Acting Studio Chicago. She has most recently performed as part of the SHIFT video installation, led by Barak Ade Soleil, at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and her voice can be found reading creepy short stories on Audible and on the Random Acts Scary Stories Around the Fire Podcast.

Sins Invalid - Maria Palacios and Nomy Lamm

Sins Invalid is a disability justice based performance project that incubates and celebrates artists with disabilities, centralizing artists of color and LGBTQ / gender-variant artists as communities who have been historically marginalized. Led by disabled people of color, Sins Invalid’s performance work explores the themes of sexuality, embodiment and the disabled body, developing provocative work where paradigms of “normal” and “sexy” are challenged, offering instead a vision of beauty and sexuality inclusive of all bodies and communities.

Maria Palacios is a performer with Sins Invalid, as well as the Spanish Language Communities Outreach Specialist. Also known as the "Goddess on Wheels," Maria is a poet, author, spoken word performer, and workshop facilitator. Maria has published several books including Poetic Confessions Volumes I & II, Dressing Skeletons, and Criptionary. Maria's work echoes the resilience of crip survival, through the lens of her own experience as a Latina, immigrant, disabled woman living in Houston. Email: mpalacios@sinsinvalid.org

Nomy Lamm is the Creative Director of Sins Invalid, a disability justice based performance project that incubates and celebrates artists with disabilities, centering Black and Brown, queer, trans and non-binary artists. Nomy is a musician, illustrator, creative coach, and kohenet/Hebrew priestess who creates earth-based Jewish ritual tools including the Omer Oracle deck and the Dreaming the World to Come planner. Nomy lives in Olympia, WA on occupied Squaxin land with their partner Lisa and their animal companions Dandelion, Momma, Romance, and Chanukah.