Stubbs is responsible for overseeing all of PML’s educational activities, including in-school programming, after-school programming, professional development and training new teaching artists. Stubbs succeeds Shá Norman, who has served in the position since 2017.
Comments PML Executive Director Colette Gregory, “Raven is a dynamic leader, who brings an impressive and extensive roster of experiences to the role of Program Director. Her expertise is second to none and will usher in a bold new vision for the way that PlayMakers Laboratory connects with Chicago Public Schools students, as well as the broader community” PML Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd adds, “PlayMakers Laboratory has always focused on both education and theatre, so I’m thrilled to collaborate and grow PML with Raven and the rest of the team.”
About Raven Stubbs
Born and raised in Detroit, MI, Raven Stubbs is an artist, educator, writer and organizer who views each of those roles as overlapping and intersectional. She holds a BA in Theatre Studies with honors in Ethnodramatic Theatre Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University, an Applied Art certificate from SACI, Italy, and an Ed.M. in Education and Public Policy from Harvard University. Coming from a predominantly Black city, Raven uses ethnography and Theater of the Oppressed to address access to education and interrogate racism, gender and class. Her research and experiences led her to create performance-based Anti-Oppression workshops as a tool for community building, organizing and art-making. Raven’s passion for advocating for education and social change led her to form many partnerships and spearhead projects with organizations including The Sculpture Center (NYC, NY), Studio Museum in Harlem (NYC, NY), Recess Art Org (Brooklyn, NY), A.R.T (Cambridge, MA), H.G.S.E., Western Avenue Community Center (Bloomington, IL), Delta Dental Health Theatre (St. Louis, MO), Illinois Shakespeare Festival (Bloomington, IL) and Mosaic Youth Theatre (Detroit, MI), CYI Detroit (Detroit, MI), Global Campaign for Education – US Chapter (D.C.), Lawndale Christian Legal Center (Chicago), Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (Chicago), Teachers for Social Justice (Chicago), Avodah (Chicago, New York, D.C., New Orleans), Repair the World (National, U.S.) The Goodman Theatre (Chicago) and Harvard Defenders (Cambridge, MA).
About PlayMakers Laboratory
Since PlayMakers Laboratory’s inception in 1997 as Barrel of Monkeys, its teaching artists have served more than 60 Chicago Public Schools. Over 15,000 elementary school students have participated in the PlayMakers programs, which aim to build students' writing skills, improve self-esteem, and instill confidence in their ideas and abilities.
PlayMakers Laboratory is sponsored in part by Wintrust Financial, Allscripts, Inc., Ernst and Young and Punchkick Interactive. It receives generous support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; the National Endowment for the Arts; a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; the Chicago Community Trust; Crown Family Philanthropies; Alphawood Foundation of Chicago; the Maurice R. and Meta G. Gross Foundation; Polk Bros Foundation; the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; the Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.; The Saints; The Topfer Family Foundation, and many other generous individuals and foundations.