YNPN Chicago is thrilled to announce:
We are now 5,000 members strong!
As we prepare to celebrate our 10th anniversary we take a moment to welcome our newest member:
So who is Aurélia Fisher?
"I am the Producing Director of About Face Theatre. I came to Chicago from New Haven, CT where I received an MFA from Yale School of Drama for theater management. While I was at Yale, I was the managing director for the Yale Cabaret, the theatrical laboratory for School of Drama students. I'm quite proud of this particular role as I produced 20 shows in 28 weeks, managed the attached restaurant, and secured the first corporate sponsorship for the Cabaret. Prior to my time at Yale, I was the Technical Archivist (fancy title for photographer) at the Metropolitan Opera. While I was in NYC I co-founded an ensemble theatre company, Pig Brooch, Inc. Pig Brooch was founded with classmates from Hamilton College, where I completed my undergraduate studies focused in theater and French. As far as passion goes, I feel very strongly about arts playing a vital role in the education, and confidence, of our youth."
And what is About Face Theatre?
"About Face creates exceptional, innovative, and adventurous new plays to advance the national dialogue on gender and sexual identity. It is a theatre company that plays a vital role in our community by engaging in social activism. Our youth program takes plays into high schools, community organizations, colleges, and corporations and creates a safe and inviting environment to begin the conversation about diversity, with the specific topic of gender and sexual orientation. We get called into schools most often after an incident of hate; we come in to have the conversation with the students and teachers alike, helping all to feel more open about discussing the topic. In addition, we produce new works from some of the country’s finest upcoming playwrights. The best part of my job is that I get to straddle the art as well as the business side of the organization: the best of both worlds in my opinion. This year we have a great new season coming out with 3 main stage productions and a festival of new play readings and workshops."
Why YNPN Chicago?
"About Face's Executive Director, Jason Held, is a member and told me about YNPN Chicago. I wanted to join because it is so easy to become insular in the world of our work - especially in non-profit because the passion of the job makes it hard to step away - and I believe there is a lot to learn from people who work in other fields. I felt this organization would give me the opportunity to meet those individuals and have the conversation across non-profit mediums about fundraising, marketing, sales, etc."
What do you enjoy about working with non-profit organizations?
"I've always wanted to be surrounded by creativity, and to find a way to make the arts viable. It brings meaning to my life. Also, who doesn't like listening to a musical rehearsal while working?! I'm new to Chicago as of September 2009 - I came blindly based on things I heard about the theatre scene. I couldn't be happier. The theater community is very welcoming and collaborative. I look forward to learning more about the nonprofit scene through YNPN Chicago."