Chair • Theatre

Ben Dicke holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Education from Sterling College. He has worked as a professional actor for twenty years in regional markets throughout the country.

Faculty • Theatre

Alison Dornheggen worked as a guest artist at The Academy for a number of years before joining the faculty of the Theater department to teach directing in 2024.

Chief of Staff / Theatre Faculty

Emily Luhrs is a collaborative leader and educator with more than a decade of experience spanning arts education, school operations, and professional performance. She began her work at The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2017 as a guest teaching artist and director of special programs for Middle School Programs.

Faculty • Theatre

Buck has been working as the Technical Director/Production Manager for The Chicago Academy for the Arts since 2004.  He is a Member of the Illinois Theatre Association and the CAA representative to the USITT.

Director of Middle School Programs / Faculty • Theatre

Sarah Grant has been a faculty member at the Academy since 2019, where she directs and teaches in the Theatre and Musical Theatre Departments. She holds a master’s degree in the Humanities from the University of Chicago.