Lifeline Theatre Welcomes New Managing Director & Ensemble Member

Lifeline Theatre, located in Rogers Park, 6912 N Glenwood Ave., is thrilled to welcome two new members to the theatre’s team, Vashti Emigh as managing director and Christopher Vizurraga as an artistic ensemble member. Both will begin their posts immediately.

As Managing Director, Emigh will report to Lifeline’s Board of Directors and work directly with Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan. Emigh will be responsible for generating, directing and supervising day-to-day administrative duties and overseeing financial and facilities management, development, strategic planning and community relations.

“This is an exciting time of change and renewal and I’m excited to partner with Vashti on this new path in Lifeline’s journey,” said Duncan. Emigh succeeds Allison Cain, who has served as Managing Director since 2009.

Prior to this position and since 2018, Emigh worked with CCS Fundraising as an Associate then Executive Director. She studied Theatre at Williams College and later received her M.B.A. with distinction from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University with concentrations in Leadership and Change Management and Applied Economics. From 2013-2016, Emigh served as Emerald City Theatre’s Education Coordinator and then Education Manager.

Emigh said, "I am excited and honored to be joining Lifeline Theatre! I look forward to working with Ilesa, the Board, and the artistic ensemble to create stories that inspire compassion, empathy, and a willingness to change."

As a new artistic ensemble member, Christopher Vizurraga joins the ranks of the body that determines the company’s artistic programming and provides leadership, support and counsel in the play development process. Lifeline’s artistic ensemble has developed more than 126 world premiere literary adaptations and 17 original plays, nearly 40 of which have had a life beyond their Lifeline debuts, with over 300 subsequent productions spread across over forty-eight U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces, Australia, England, Ireland, Guatamala, South Africa, Turkey and Whales. Additionally, three scripts developed at Lifeline Theatre have gone on to U.S. national tours, and 11 have been published. Lifeline Theatre has garnered a total of 51 Jeff Awards (Equity and Non-Equity).

Vizurraga made his first appearance on the Lifeline Stage in Miss Buncle's Book in 2015. Since then, he has worked with Lifeline on Lester's Dreadful Sweaters, Giggle Giggle Quack (2018 Tour), Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile and Click Clack Moo. Vizurraga’s other Chicago credits include: A Midsummer Night's Dream and I <3 Juliet at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Captain Blood and Women in Jeopardy with First Folio Theatre, A Q Brothers' Christmas Carol for two seasons at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, One Man, Two Guv'nors at Court Theater, Pirandello's Henry IV with Remy Bumppo, Titus Andronicus with Haven Chicago, and many more. He holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Shorter College and was an Emerging Professional Resident with Milwaukee Repertory Theater in 2013/14.

In addition to Vizurraga, Lifeline’s artistic ensemble is led by Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan, and consists of Aly Renee Amidei, Patrick Blashill, Jessica Wright Buha, Christina Calvit, Heather Currie, Bilal Dardai, Victoria DeIorio, Amanda Delheimer, Alan Donahue, Andrés Enriquez, Diane D. Fairchild, Kevin D. Gawley, Peter Greenberg, James E. Grote, Chris Hainsworth, John Hildreth, Paul S. Holmquist, Elise Kauzlaric, Robert Kauzlaric, Anthony Kayer, Frances Limoncelli, Amanda Link, Martel Manning, Katie McLean Hainsworth, Dorothy Milne, Shole Milos, Sandy Snyder Pietz, Suzanne Plunkett, Maren Robinson, Phil Timberlake, Jenifer Tyler and Christopher M. Walsh.