Leadership
Gwen is the founder and current Artistic Director of Brain Arts Productions. Originally from Lexington, Massachusetts, she has been working in the performing arts for over fifteen years. Gwen’s favorite teachable moment is when Peter’s lyric idea was “Sauna, pizza, sauna, pizza, sauna,” he looked around in trepidation, and was met with thunderous applause.
Victoria is a teaching artist, stage manager, and all-around experience maker. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, she joined Brain Arts Productions in 2014. Her passion for personal finance led her to develop Journey World for the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago. She now spends her time considering time travel and tiny houses.
Liz Lark-Riley is passionate about creating unforgettable experiences and has made it her mission to do so over the years in Dallas, New Orleans, Chicago, New York, Chongquing, Taipei, and Central Florida, where she currently resides with her hilarious toddler and talented husband (the husband is responsible for the Brain Arts logo, which he doodled in a sketchbook many moons ago). Although Liz has no formal musical training, she would like you to know she is an absolute virtuoso on the kazoo.
Interested? Email us a cover letter and resume at [email protected].
Teaching Team
Originally from San Francisco, California, Ida has worked as an after school counselor, a tumbling instructor, dance instructor and baby sitter. Ida is currently an artistic associate with Barrel of Monkeys, teaching creative writing workshops in CPS. She is a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles.
Simone is a recent graduate from Roosevelt University and a Chicago native. She spends most of her time behind the camera whether she's recording or taking pictures. She loves channeling her creativity to help children and adults realize the importance of all forms of art and finding joy in everything around them.
Cas is a teaching artist and video editor. They hail from the Philadelphia region in Pennslyvania but currently live in Chicago with their gang of cats after graduating from Columbia College with a Bachelor of Arts in Television. Cas's favorite teachable moment is when they helped create the plot of the next Harry Potter movie at Mia's birthday party.
Robbin Major is a teaching artist, performer, and singer. She's been involved in the arts since she was a little girl. When she's not acting, she's selling burgers and fries and living her best life! Robbin's favorite teachable moment is when she explained the many meanings of "flossing" to the elders.
Jessie is a teacher, choreographer, and costumer extraordinaire for Brain Surgeon Theater. Originally from Chicago, Jessie has been teaching and working in the arts for 20 years. Her favorite teachable moment was bringing in an eyeliner pencil to draw on the unibrow Dev so desperately wanted.