who’s who at fft

Andrew Cutler, Artistic Producer †
he/him/his

Andrew Cutler is an actor, acting teacher, co-founder of First Floor Theater, and co-owner of Black Box Acting in Chicago. Currently, he is the Artistic Producer at First Floor and a teacher and the Executive Director of Black Box, and he has been a Lecturer for the Committee on Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Chicago. As Artistic Producer, Andrew has helped put up productions of The Secretaries by Omer Abbas Salem, Botticelli in the Fire by Jordan Tanahill, and Hatefuck by Rehana Lew Mirza, in addition to serving as the lead producer on the Blueprint Commission. As an actor, Andrew has appeared onstage in over twenty productions, including Sexual Perversity in Chicago, GrimmFest, Polaroid Stories, The Paranoid Style in American Politics, World Builders, Refrigerator, Hooded; or Being Black for Dummies, Killed a Man (Joking), and Plano with First Floor Theater, and elsewhere in productions at A Red Orchid Theatre, The Artistic Home, The Sound, and other companies around Chicago. Andrew's regional credits include A Christmas Carol, We’re Gonna Be Okay and The Many Deaths of Nathan Stubblefield, all at Actors Theatre of Louisville. In early 2019, he was named one of the Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago in Newcity Stage for his work with First Floor. He holds a degree in Theater and Performance Studies from The University of Chicago, completed his conservatory training in The ACADEMY at Black Box Acting, and an acting apprenticeship at Actors Theatre of Louisville. More at www.andrewlcutler.com.

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Anastar Alvarez, Production Manager they/them/theirsAnastar Alvarez is an artist, stage manager, and dog trainer based in Chicago. Previous stage management credits with FFT include Refrigerator, I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard, Sugar in Our Wounds, …

Anastar Alvarez, Director of Production
they/them/theirs

Anastar Alvarez is an artist, stage manager, and dog trainer based in Chicago. Previous stage management credits with FFT include Refrigerator, I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard, Sugar in Our Wounds, and Vape Naysh. They have also had the pleasure of working on Red Bowl at the Jeffs with The Sound, Meet Juan(ito) Doe and The Real Life Adventures of Jimmy de las Rosas with Free Street Theatre, and Wake Up! Brother Bear and Little Jams with The Chicago Children’s Theatre. Anastar is self and community taught and is grateful for all those who have helped them along the way.

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Amanda Fink, Managing Director † she/her/hersAmanda Fink is a Chicago-based actor and educator. On stage, she has had the pleasure of working with Court Theatre, Sideshow Theatre Company, and First Floor Theater, where she is a founding member. In e…

Amanda Fink, Managing Director †
she/her/hers

Amanda Fink is a Chicago-based actor and educator. On stage, she has had the pleasure of working with Court Theatre, Sideshow Theatre Company, and First Floor Theater, where she is a founding member. In early 2019, she was named one of the Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago in Newcity Stage for her work with FFT. Amanda also recently assumed ownership of Black Box Acting alongside Eric Gerard and Andrew Cutler. She serves as Black Box’s Creative Director at Black Box (though she’s still in the classroom teaching as much as possible.) Originally from Los Angeles, Amanda relocated to Chicago to attend the University of Chicago. She holds degrees in Theater and Performance Studies and English Language and Literature from UChicago. More at amandacfink.com.

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Anne Vallas, Development Director
she/her/hers

Anne Vallas is a writer from Youngstown, Ohio. She obtained her B.A. and M.A. in English from Youngstown State University, where she focused her studies on literature, publishing, and pop culture. Anne has been recognized for both her analytical and creative writing. She currently serves as the Art Director for Volney Road Review, a biannual literary magazine, and is the creator of Crumbs of Dust, a podcast that explores the parallels between early American literature and contemporary culture, constructs, and conventions, where she works alongside Americanist scholars across the globe. Anne is experienced in the nonprofit sector, and she is eager to blend her personal passion for the arts with her professional passion for nonprofit work.

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Alexander Paredes-Ruíz, Marketing Manager
he/him/él

Alexander "Alex" Paredes-Ruíz is a Chicago-based writer, creative, and cultural worker from Miami, FL, focusing on theater, race, and popular culture, particularly in performance and aesthetics. He is the Marketing Manager at First Floor Theater and supports teaching in Latinx culture as an M.A. student in Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Alex is developing his master’s thesis on pan-ethnic Latinx theatre and Latinidad. He has previously received T. Howard Foundation Final Talent Pool and 4A’s MAIP fellowships alongside a Studio Theatre apprenticeship. Past affiliated organizations include Chicago Latino Theatre Alliance, Steppenwolf, Americans for the Arts, and Actors Playhouse. Alex holds degrees in Theatre Arts Management and History from Ithaca College. www.apareruiz.com

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Shelbi Weaver, Production Manager
she/her/hers

Shelbi Weaver is an actor, stage manager, and improvisor based in Chicago. She attended the University of Northern Colorado, where she received a B.F.A. in Acting. Post-Grad, she moved out to the city and has been an involved member of the artistic community ever since. She recently worked as a production assistant with Night Out in the Parks, where she collaborated with local theaters, musicians, and artists to bring hundreds of free shows to our city’s parks. She’s had the pleasure of working for FFT before as a Stage Manager for their Blueprint Commission series. Her recent film credits include McKenzie McCoy and D*cks. She currently works as an in-house stage manager at iO Improvisational Theatre.

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First Floor Theater staffing is partially supported by a Chicago Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

 
 

COMPANY MEMBERS
Aurora Adachi-Winter (she/her/hers)
Sid Branca (they/them/theirs)
Mikael Burke (he/him/his)
Alexis Carrie (she/her/hers) †
Caroline Chu (she/her/hers)
Kate Cornelius-Schecter (she/her/hers) †
Micah Figueroa (he/him/his)
Markie Gray (she/her/hers)
Hanna Kime (she/her/hers)
Caitlin McCarthy (she/her/hers)
Gracie Meier (she/they)
Catherine Miller (they/them/theirs)
Hutch Pimentel (they/he)
Omer Abbas Salem (he/they)
Griffin Sharps (he/him/his)
Claire Stone (she/her/hers)
Cole von Glahn (he/him/his)

† denotes founding member

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Riane Kerwin (she/her/hers), President
Bunge Limited, Booth School of Business @ The University of Chicago

Andres Fonseca (he/him/his), Treasurer
Guaranteed Rate

Maria Laftchiyska Schwartz (she/her/hers),
Levin Schreder & Carey, LTD

Lee Barrington Stark (she/her/hers)
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP