Lisa Wagner-Carollo
Founder/Executive Director
Lisa Wagner-Carollo is the Founder and Artistic Director of Still Point Theatre Collective. She founded the company in 1993, motivated by a strong desire to combine ministry and theatre. Ever since, she has toured the country and overseas with Haunted by God: The Life of Dorothy Day. Wagner has also performed in and produced (for Still Point), the internationally toured Points of Arrival: A Jean Donovan Journey, a play that explores the life and commitment of one of the four North American church women killed in El Salvador in 1980. Lisa also works as a facilitator in Still Point’s outreach programs. Her education includes a B.S.E. from Emporia State University. She completed her certification as a spiritual director at Siena Center in Racine, Wisconsin and has begun a spiritual direction practice in the Chicago area. Lisa is also honored to serve on the NCPD's Council on Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities.
Awards: Outstanding Recent Graduate, Emporia State University, 1997 Seeds of Hope Award, Wheatridge, 2009. Click here to view Lisa's book, Above Along Inside and Through, published in 2017.
Carmen Romero
Associate Director
After Carmen completed her BS in Psychology at Syracuse University, she spent the next 10 years managing retail businesses and ultimately creating her own personal business. After selling that business she took a career change to resume studies at the graduate level at Erikson Institute, pursuing an M. Ed. early child education and managing multi-site childcare centers on the west and south side. Several years later when her kids arrived, Carmen stepped down to care for her growing family, volunteer, and care for her mother. Presently, she is enjoying working in administrative support for Still Point, rebooting her career.
LEADERSHIP
Kevin Aoussou
Associate Director
Kevin Aoussou (He/Him/His) is a Chicago based actor, director, producer, and educator from Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire. Originally an actor, Kevin has been using his toolbox to become an effective leader and facilitator hoping to find the balance between living life and practicing life, by collaborating on projects that investigate theater, education, and social change. Kevin graduated with a double major from Winthrop University in Theater Performance and Mass Communication in 2018. In the summer of 2020 Kevin came to Chicago to earn his MFA in Acting from Northwestern University and will be graduating this summer. He also founded The SuperHuman Collective (SHC) and The Local Lab Co. , organizations focused on artistic collaboration, reflecting current events and experiences, and creating community impact.
Margie Gallaway
Marketing Director
Recently retired after 30 years with Nestle Purina in sales and marketing, Margie is excited to combine her expertise with theatre. A frequent volunteer as a “theatre mom”, she loves the welcoming and inclusive spirit in theatre communities. Her interests also include music, sports, travel, wine, and spending time with family and friends. Margie received a BSJ in Advertising from the University of Kansas.
FACILITATORS
James Cornolo
Program Facilitator
James has been teaching music for over 15 years to a wide range of people including very young children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. He has studied jazz at the American Conservatory of Music and currently holds a B. A. in Classical Guitar Performance and Pedagogy from Northwestern Illinois University. James has a strong professional background in World Music including Latin and Caribbean styles in addition to rock, jazz, and classical. James uses his rich experience to find the best approach for each individual student’s growth and enjoyment.
Nate Smith Actor/Booking/
Program Facilitator
Nate Smith is an actor in three different documentary pieces with Still Point: The True Cost: Stories of Human Trafficking; Visionary at the Helm; and the soon to perform He Walks Through Lightning: St. Norbert Speaks. He is also an outreach program facilitator who has worked in Cook County Jail, in programs with adults with developmental disabilities, and began two programs as part of the Sage Workshop working with the elderly.
In 2020 he began a new initiative, The 6th Festival, an international fringe festival of all types of events where anyone, anywhere can contribute to be part of raising awareness and solving the greatest issue our species has ever faced: the climate crisis.
To find out more, visit www.thesixthfest.org
Joy Valdez-Pappas
Facilitator & Actor
Joy Valdez-Pappas is inspired to be a part of Still Point Theatre Collective as they continue to use theatre to uplift, inform and share humanity’s epiphanies’. As a producer, writer, improviser, actor, and musician in Chicagoland, she has performed and/or had collaborative works produced in both film and theater in Los Angeles and Chicago. Her training includes Black Box Studio, The Acting Studio, Second City Music Conservatory and UCLA’s Extension Entertainment & Screenwriting Program. Joy also has a B.S. in Business Management and a minor in biology. She works as a clinical actor at various medical schools and corporations and during the holiday season you may find her in Dickensian attire singing carols with the Frozen Robins. Joy lives in Chicago with her husband, Dean and her son, Peter.
Mónica Sánchez
Program Facilitator
Mónica Sánchez is a teacher, writer, and grad student from Chicago, IL. She graduated from Knox College with a Bachelor's in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Endorsement and minors in Spanish and Anthropology & Sociology. She is currently pursuing her EdM in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a preschool teacher at University Primary School. Mónica facilitates the monthly Intergenerational Writing Group at Still Point which is open to artists and people of all ages who want to write. She has very wide interests that include teaching, research, and creative writing. Her previous works include writing a play that was selected and performed at Lane Tech’s Play Festival and performed at the world's largest youth poetry slam competition Louder Than A Bomb. Mónica believes in working towards creating more equitable spaces in schools and community spaces through art by exploring creativity and reflection.
Emma Lou Andrews
Facilitator
Emma Lou Andrews is a recent graduate of Otterbein University where she received her BFA in Acting and her BA in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies. While there, she was a part of the MainStage Improv troupe, and performed in several plays including Butterflies are Free (Jill) and School for Scandal (Lady Sneerwell). She also had the opportunity to direct a workshop production of Reasons to be Pretty, by Neil LaBute. She is currently taking improv classes at Second City and performs comedy around Chicago.
Victoria Cruz
Facilitator
Victoria Angelina Cruz, a Birmingham, Alabama native, dedicates the majority of her time educating underserved communities in the art of storytelling. She earned her Masters degree at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Acting credits include Primary Trust (Goodman), Two Kids in the Universe (Teatro Dallas), He's Born, He's Borne by David Rabe (Undermain), A Christmas Carol and Elevator Project - Rage(Dallas Theatre Center), Hamlet and The Tempest(Shakespeare Dallas). Her screen credits includeLawman Bass Reeves, a Paramount+ limited series, ChicagoMed (NBC) Twisters (Universal Studios) and the newly released short film The Short Game. You can also experience her work at MeowWolf - Grapevine an immersive art experience located in Dallas,TX. @vcruzact
Bob Hart
Podcast Host/ Facilitator
Bob Hart is a theatre artist who has worked professionally as an actor, director, playwright and educator. He earned his BA in Communication and Theatre from Emporia State University and MFAs in Acting and Playwriting from the University of Arkansas. A Kansas City native, he lives in Olathe, Kansas, where he is a board member of the Olathe Civic Theatre Association.
Jade Gray
Facilitator
Jade Gray (she/her) is a Chicago-based teaching artist, writer, performer, and graphic designer with a passion for promoting inclusive, arts-based experiences. As a performer, she has worked with the Dakota Prairie Regional Center for the Arts and the Cody Center for the Performing Arts. Jade collaborates with organizations such as Chicago Children’s Theatre, where she helps implement theatre programs for autistic youth and leads residencies that center neurodivergent learning. She also partners with Once Upon Our Time Capsule to bring accessible and engaging arts-based education to youth across the city.
Jade believes in the power of music and art to reconnect individuals with their bodies and foster healing. She seeks to join shared spaces that promote joy, connection, and belonging for those who may not always have access to them.
CONTRIBUTORS
Isabeau Pogue
Stage Manager
J. Isabeau Pogue (she/they) (Stage Manager) is an actor, director, stage manager, and theater creator from the South Side of Chicago. She is currently studying theater at Lake Forest College (LFC). She started as an actor in community theater and later discovered her interest in directing and theater creation with an emphasis on staging new works. This has built a lifelong love of the art form and an appreciation of theater as a powerful tool of expression. She has produced a workshop of three new short plays written by students and alumni at LFC in 2022. She discovered her passion for stage management at the Dunes Summer Theater (DST) in Northwest Indiana in 2023. For the past three years she has worked in various roles for DST's regular season and as the Stage Manager and Production Coordinator for their new plays festival. She worked in a similar role for Still Point Theater Collective for their Social Change Theater Festival in March 2025. She met the team from Mud Theater Project at the festival and is excited to be working with them on Jabril's Chains. Isabeau would like to thank her parents and partner for their support throughout this process, her mentors for their advice, and the wonderful cast and crew of Jabril's Chains for this opportunity.
Cody Kruetzer
Executive Assistant
Cody Kreutzer currently serves as the assistant to Still Point's Founder and Executive Director, Lisa Wagner-Carollo. He is also a Teaching Artist with Johnson County Parks and Recreation Department in Overland Park, Kansas. He teaches Intro to Acting, Intermediate Acting, leads various performing arts programs, and directs Academy productions for students ages 5 – 18. In addition to his work as a Teaching Artist, Cody is active in local theatre groups, both as a performer and creative team member. He has performed in professional and community theater productions with The White Theatre at The J, Theatre in the Park, and The Blue Curtain Project. His work in the arts has been recognized at local and regional levels, earning 3rd Place at the National Association of Teachers of Singing annual scholarship auditions in the Musical Theatre division, in addition to a nomination for a Regional Broadway World award for his performance as the Escapologist in Matilda: the Musical at The White Theatre at The J. Along with performing, Cody has also been a member of several production teams serving as a choreographer, costumer, and director. Cody received his Bachelor of General Studies with an emphasis in Theatre and Master of Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Music from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, along with a Master of Arts Leadership and Cultural Management from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Daniel Villanueva
Videographer
& Photographer
Daniel Villanueva, a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelors in Communication, has continually collaborated with Still Point’s Founder and Executive Director Lisa Wagner over the many years of their friendship. He first met Lisa in 2011 when she hosted a weekly youth group gathering at Ravenswood Presbyterian Church and then went on to co-host the same youth group from 2017-2022. In 2024, Daniel became Still Point’s videographer and enjoys bringing awareness to social justice issues.
Raj Kharvari
Financial Manager
Raj received his B.S in Finance from DePaul University in Chicago and has a strong professional background in accounting and finance. Full-time, Raj works as a portfolio manager for a large private equity real estate investment firm. As the financial manager at Sill Point, he oversees all routine accounting and finance responsibilities such as payroll, AP, AR, and budgeting.
Ben Montague
Laura Callahan-Hazard Intern
Ben Montague makes comics, zines, stop motion animations, and little mixed media films. Their work has been published by Driftwood Press and Anomalous Press, among other places. You can find their archive at ko-fi.com/benmontague
Sophie Wheeless
Andy Torres Intern
Sophie Wheeless is a multiform artist based in Chicago, Illinois. She recently graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a B.A. in Theatre (directing concentration), and has since spent her time producing and directing new theatrical works. She is a freelance stage manager, writer, and illustrator- and is always looking for a new story to tell. She has directed a multitude of indie productions and is currently working to expand her skills as a teaching artist.
Lisa Biggs
Guest Artist
Lisa Biggs is an actor, playwright, and performance studies scholar. She currently works as an Assistant Professor of the Arts and Africana Studies at Brown University. Originally from the Southside of Chicago, Lisa worked for more than a decade as a professional actress and teaching artist in local and regional theatres before earning a PhD in Performance Studies at Northwestern University (2013). At Brown she teaches courses in African American culture, Black theatre, and performance studies. Her forthcoming book, The Healing Stage: Black Women, Incarceration, and the Art of Transformation, will be published in late 2022 by the Ohio State University Press.
Carson Grace Becker
Artistic Associate
Carson Grace Becker earned her MFA in playwriting from the University of Iowa. She most recently served as the Artistic Director of Chicago Dramatists, and is the founder of The Root & The Bloom Collective, an Arts & Humanities in Butte, MT. Her stage plays and awards include: A MISLAID HEAVEN, Joseph Jefferson Award (Chicago), ADA Award (Los Angeles) for Best New Work, with numerous productions around the country; BY THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES, commissioned/produced by the The Goodman Theatre; GIRL’S CHOICE, commissioned/produced by Honolulu Theatre for Youth; THE EROTIC LIFE OF PROPERTY, featured at The Williamstown Theater Festival, The Playwright’s Center, The Southwest New Plays Festival (Stages Theatre, Houston); BOOK OF MERCY produced by Chicago Dramatists, workshopped at the Midwest O’Neill Festival and Montana Repertory; INK & ELKSKIN commissioned/produced by Nebraska Repertory; NEBRASKA NEXT commissioned/produced by The Angel Theater Company; REMEMBERING HELOISE, Award for Playwriting Excellence, The Kennedy Center; GIFT OF THE MAGI, commissioned/produced by The Riverside Theater. Her screenplay DARK GARDEN won 2nd Place in the Los Angeles New Wave Film Festival, was a finalist at the Austin Film Festival and the Creative World Awards and semi-finalist in The Blue Cat competition; her screenplay LOST IN PARADISE is currently in development with 2nd Frame Productions in NYC. Ms. Becker has worked as Literary Manager at Honolulu Theater for Youth, Director of the Playwrights Network at Chicago Dramatist, and Dramaturg for The Mark Taper Forum (New Play Festival). She’s received two Illinois Arts Council Grants, two residencies at The William Inge Center for the Arts, taught Playwriting and Screenwriting at The University of Chicago/Graham School, Columbia College, Roosevelt University and Chicago Dramatists, and has been a guest artist at NYU, Ohio University, University of Nebraska, University of Illinois (Chicago) and Oklahoma State.
Steve Grossman
Director, Technical Theatre Support
Steve has an M.A. in Theater and Film, and has directed scores of amateur and professional productions. In 1966, he was founding director of the Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado. He has been a Peace Corps volunteer and staffer, a screenwriter and journalist, and has taught at universities in Kansas and Missouri.
Virginia Smith Director
Virginia is the Head of Directing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and until recently was the Artistic Director of Nebraska Repertory Theatre. She received the Mayor’s Choice Award from Lincoln’s Mayor Chris Beutler and the Lincoln Arts Council in 2015. She has been working with Lisa Wagner-Carollo and Still Point since the very beginning of the company, and directed Haunted by God, Deep Listening, and Living Water.
IN MEMORIAM
Andy Torres
Actor/Co-Facilitator
Andy Torres was a spectacular actor. For over 20 years, beginning in 1991, he was part of Still Point’s Imagination Workshop at Esperanza Community Services. He loved directing and would often co-lead our workshops. Andy also participated in the Ray Graham Training Center and Garden Center Services. He participated in the Special Olympics for many years, was also an artist whose artwork was featured on two different Special Olympic calendars and also displayed at various charitable events. One of his pieces was on display at a local Starbucks for over a year. Andy was involved in performing arts and acted in various plays such as Phantom of the Opera (we will never forget his portrayal of the Phantom- a performance that he fully imbued with his heart and soul), Grease and the Wizard of Oz, to name a few, while a member of Still Point.
In Memoriam
Laura Callahan-Hazard
Senior Facilitator
Laura Callahan-Hazard holds a degree in Directing from Barat College, and has a background in Chicago theater working as a designer, dramaturg, and director. She is the lead facilitator for the Ravenswood Players, and has also led other Imagination Workshop programs with Still Point, including partnerships with SEARCH Inc., L’Arche Chicago, and Orchard Village.
In Memoriam
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Raj received his B.S in Finance from DePaul University in Chicago and has a strong professional background in accounting and finance. Full-time, Raj works as a portfolio manager for a large private equity real estate investment firm. As the financial manager at Sill Point, he oversees all routine accounting and finance responsibilities such as payroll, AP, AR, and budgeting.
Sara Moslener,
PRESIDENT
Sara Moslener is a former tour manager for Still Point whose love for theatre and social justice
work has remained strong even as she pursued graduate work in religious studies. Today, Sara
is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Central Michigan University where
she teaches course on religion, racism, and sexuality.
Steve Grossman, Secretary
Steve has an M.A. in Theater and Film, and has directed scores of amateur and professional productions. In 1966, he was founding director of the Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado. He has been a Peace Corps volunteer and staffer, a screenwriter and journalist, and has taught at universities in Kansas and Missouri.
Yahaira Landaverry,
TREASURER
Yahaira Landaverry of Guatemalan descendent, came to the Windy City at the age of ten and has lived in Chicago since then. Graduated from Fox College in 2004 with an Associate's Degree in Associate of Applied Science in Administration. Soon before graduating, she started working for The National Federation of Priests' Councils until February of 2014 where she met Lisa Wagner.
At the present moment, she volunteers as the Secretary for her church, Sublime Gracia; she's also part of the Administrative Board, and leads the Youth Group along with her husband of 14 years. They have a 7-year old boy, Nathan and a 4-month puppy, Rocket.