Allison Sheehan is Gift Theatre’s new managing director! A graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, Allison is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. When she isn’t at the theatre, she can be found trying new recipes, exploring antique shops, or searching a bookstore for her next great read.
In the beginning, Allison had a tenuous relationship with theatre, after being so terrified by Broadway’s Mary Poppins that she swore, at 7 years old, she would never watch a play again. Fortunately, she just couldn’t stay away, and she found herself back in the theatre again at 15, when she began to act, sing, and stage manage. As she continued her education, Allison branched into Access Services, where she started captioning and audio-describing performances. This led Allison to The Gift, where she has found that her own practices as an Arts Administrator fit in perfectly with the organization’s mission and values.
Allison believes in collaborative theatre that places intersectional accessibility at the core of each work. She hopes to foster an environment where others will find the same joy and purpose that she does in producing art.