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I am a Chicago-based theatre educator, teaching artist, and arts practitioner.​ My aim is to empower and educate youth through empathy and expression within the many mediums of theatre.  My own background combines over a decade of hands-on volunteer work with local youth community theatre with formal training in theatre performance at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a wide array of other unique experiences. 

In September of 2023 I began pursuing a master's degree in Applied Theatre and Theatre Education at Emerson College in Boston, MA with the intention of obtaining teaching licensure and strengthening my ability to use theatre as a tool for both broad social justice and individual fulfillment.

My interest in theatre ranges broadly, from acting and directing to makeup and costume design to stage management and playwriting. I believe that, within the umbrella of theatre arts, everybody can find at least one discipline that speaks to them.  The wide breadth of my passion for and experience with theatre allows me to expose my students to its vast range of specialties and better determine which ones they are most likely to enjoy and learn from.

I wear many hats beyond the joint fields of theatre and education.  I'm also a professionally trained pastry chef, a cat lover, and much more.  Personally, I'm devoted to my friends and family.

I am openly LGBTQ+, and I hope that through this openness I can play even a small part in normalizing queerness among young people and inspire them to live as their most authentic selves.

Who I Am

ECA84D86-91A5-4645-83CE-50F9A4C8D26D_1_201_a.jpeg
Em Sheffey
(they/them)
emiliasheff@gmail.com​
(847) 770-3417
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