Amanda Delheimer
Artistic Director

Amanda Delheimer's scholarly and artistic work circles around the intersections of story, psychology, biases, and the body. She was chosen for the inaugural artEquity Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Facilitator cohort, funded by the Mellon Foundation and hosted by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015. Since then, she has actively engaged with the Theater Communications Group as a part of their anti-racism work, including presenting on “White Fragility and Social Location Theory” and “How to Break Down White Supremacy Culture” at their annual convening. For the Michigan Presenters Conference in Detroit, MI, she developed a workshop called “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion—What does that mean for Presenters?” As the Artistic Director of 2nd Story, she has facilitated trainings, workshops, and experiences for partners on a local and national level, including work with Comcast NBC Universal, Motorola, Fifth/Third Bank, Skadden Arps, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, the Gender and Sexuality Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the National Able Network, among others. (she/her/hers)

Jess Hutchinson
Managing Director

Jess Hutchinson is a director, dramaturg, and arts administrator proudly based in Chicago. Driven by a desire to make work in the nonprofit sector more humane, equitable, and sustainable, she aims to center authenticity, collaboration, and compassion in all aspects of her work. She previously served as the Director of Engagement for the National New Play Network (NNPN) and has held roles in arts education at the Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and the University of Chicago. Past directing credits include: several 2nd Story shows, most recently the Season 25 launch as part of Steppenwolf's Lookout series, the Midwest premiere of Steven Dietz’s Mad Beat Hip and Gone, two productions of Bilal Dardai’s adaptation of The Man Who Was Thursday (including the world premiere), and workshop productions of Georgette Kelly’s North Star, and Emily Dendinger’s No Home For Bees. As Artistic Director of Chicago’s New Leaf Theatre, favorite projects included Arcadia, The Dining Room, and world premieres of Burying Miss America by Brian Golden, Lighthousekeeping by Georgette Kelly, and Vox Pandora by Bilal Dardai. She was proud to be the 2015-16 NNPN Producer in Residence at Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas. MFA in Directing: University of Texas at Austin | MA in Social Sector Leadership & Nonprofit Management: University of Chicago. (she/her/hers)

Carolyn S. Aguila (she/her/hers) has served Chicago’s arts and cultural communities through her arts administration experience, which includes tenures with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs (DCASE), Brooks Permissions, The Mercury Theatre, and the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theatre. She has also worked with Cinema/Chicago, Mark Kelly Smith, and supported numerous boards, committees, and panels. As a published poet, Aguila understands an artist’s creative process, the challenges of forming a career in a competitive field, and creating allies among one’s peers, among many other professional issues. She is delighted to now be part of the remarkable team of 2nd Story, an organization that gives voice to individual stories for a better understanding of our broader community.

Ali Drumm (she/her/hers) is a Chicago based arts administrator, production manager, and event coordinator. She is also a certified COVID-19 Compliance Officer in both Theatre Production and Patron Safety. Ali has previously worked with Lookingglass, Steppenwolf, the House Theatre of Chicago, and others. As a project manager in the corporate world, Ali has helped to develop and facilitate DEI and Belonging e-Learning and virtual workshops for Fortune 500 companies across retail, manufacturing, technology, and hospitality. Ali currently lives in Albany Park with her wife and a menagerie of pets.

Liz Rice (she/her/hers) began working with 2nd Story as part of the 2013/2014 Directors Ensemble and fell in love with the company. Over the years, she has directed, produced, or curated over 25+ stories and supported 2nd Story's artistic and education initiatives as a Facilitator, Company Member, and Company Manager. Liz believes that: 

• Education is a life-long pursuit. 

• Everyone should have access to a quality education. 

• Stories have the ability to build strong and profound connections between people.

Previously, Liz developed and pursued these beliefs as the School Programs Coordinator at Goodman Theatre and as the Education Community Organizer at the North River Commission. If it is important to you, Liz holds a B.A. in Art History and Criticism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.A. in the Humanities from the University of Chicago.

Max Spitz (he/him/his) is a member of the Northwestern Class of 2016, where he graduated with a BA in Theatre. Throughout his life he has studied and practiced directing, set design, and performance both as an actor and a storyteller. He was lucky enough to bring several productions of new work to life in his time at Northwestern including Strangers of Intimacy by Marion Hill (Director) and Alligators by A.J. Roy (Set Designer). Some favorite performance credits include Urinetown (Hot Blades Harry), Amadeus (Van Swieten), and Polaroid Stories (G).