Chicago Children’s Theatre announces the appointment of Sam Mauceri (they/them/theirs) to a new full-time staff position: Inclusive Education and Programs Manager.
Mauceri’s responsibilities include creating and ensuring an open and inclusive environment for all education programming at Chicago Children’s Theatre, including its full, year-round roster of performing arts classes and camps for children 0 to 18.
The new position also has a focus on expanding CCT’s popular Red Kite Program for children on the autism spectrum. In addition, Mauceri will work to make all CCT programs accessible to children with disabilities. They also will help guide integrating appropriate EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) best practices in all of CCT’s public programs on stage, behind-the-scenes, with audience members of all ages and with Chicago’s live theater community at large.
“In my new role at Chicago Children's Theatre, I am thrilled to support our dedicated community of students and families, while working to expand our offerings to serve even more young people on the autism spectrum across Chicago,” said Mauceri. “I believe that the arts must be for everyone, and I can't think of a better way to enact that belief than by working to develop the reach and scope of the Red Kite Program. It is such an honor to build upon the excellence of this inclusive programming and to reimagine it for the next decade and beyond.”
Chicago Children's Theatre's Red Kite Program is for children on the autism spectrum.
“We are grateful to The Ralla Klepak Trust for the Performing Arts for funding this newly created position,” said Dexter Ellis, Director of Education and Community Programs, Chicago Children’s Theatre. “With their support, we are able to welcome an amazing new teaching artist and administrator to our staff. Their impact as an ambassador for all youth in Chicago will be paramount as we start reopening our doors to students and audiences for in-person learning and live entertainment at Chicago Children’s Theatre.”
Mauceri (they/them/theirs) is a theater educator and artist with a passion for creating accessible spaces for students and young audiences. They come to Chicago Children’s Theatre after serving two years as School Matinee Series Coordinator at Goodman Theatre. In addition to welcoming thousands of Chicago high school students to see Goodman productions each year, they co-taught in PlayBuild, the Goodman’s summer youth devising intensive, and co-created and currently co-teach Strike! The Youth Political Theatre Project. Originally from the Washington DC area, Mauceri was previously the Master Instructor of Early Childhood Education and teaching artist at Imagination Stage, a teaching artist with Young Playwrights’ Theater, and the music teacher at Wesley Nursery School. Alongside teaching drama to young people, they also provide professional development for educators in arts integration, creating accessible and inclusive drama classrooms, and facilitating trans-positive learning spaces. As a director and playwright, their work has been produced in Chicago and DC.
Chicago Children's Theatre's 2018 production of Red Kite, Brown Box
About Chicago Children’s Theatre
“The Chicago theater scene is legendarily vibrant, so naturally a number of companies tailor productions to younger audiences. The cream of the crop is Chicago Children’s Theatre.” – Chicago Tribune
Chicago Children’s Theatre was founded in 2005 with a big idea: Chicago is the greatest theater city in the world, and it deserves a great children’s theater. Today, Chicago Children’s Theatre is the city’s largest professional theater company devoted exclusively to children and young families. CCT has established a national reputation for the production of first-rate children’s theater with professional writing, performing, and directorial talent and high-quality design and production expertise.
In January 2017, the company celebrated the opening of its new, permanent home, Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, located at 100 S. Racine Avenue in Chicago’s West Loop community. The building, formerly the Chicago Police Station for the 12th District, was repurposed into a beautiful, LEED Gold-certified, mixed-use performing arts, education and community engagement facility that now welcomes all Chicago families.
CCT provides tens of thousands of free and reduced-price tickets to under-resourced schools each season in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. CCT also continues to grow its performing arts and STEAM education programs, offering classes, workshops, winter and spring break camps, and summer camps for ages 0 to 13.
In 2019, Chicago Children’s Theatre won the National TYA Artistic Innovation Award from Theatre for Young Audiences/USA. In addition, Chicago Children’s Theatre has garnered six NEA Art Works grants, and in 2017, became the first theater for young audiences in the U.S. to win a National Theatre Award from the American Theatre Wing, creators of the Tony Awards.
Chicago Children’s Theatre is led by Co-Founders, Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell and Board Chair Todd Leland, with Board President Armando Chacon. For more, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org.