inc.
(Previously Pocket Playfest) Inc. is a new play incubator that pairs 6 early career Chicago directors with 6 budding Chicago playwrights to develop a new script over a dedicated 3 month process. During the process, the cohort participates in various professional development workshops led in collaboration with Chicago storefront leaders. Inc. culminates in a 2 week festival that is presented live to audiences as well as filmed in Virtual Reality, exploring how to welcome audiences to experience live Chicago theatre from anywhere in the world.
Special thanks to Karina Patel, Mikael Burke, Ramona Rotten, & Kirk Anderson
Support this program
Professional Development
We host workshops from guest facilitators throughout the 4-month development process. Cohort members will attend Workshops focused on:
Headshots (Brandii Champagne)
Artistic Statement (Karina Patel)
Artistic Website (Mikael Burke)
How to Produce (Ramona Rotten)
Filming
Each excerpt is filmed in VR and given to all actors/playwrights/directors for archival, portfolio use, or sharing with audience members unable to attend in person.
Plays Developed Through Inc. - 23
Total Camp Unity Written by Kandace Mack Directed by Keimon Shook
NOLA Written by Zoé Soteres Directed by Stefan Roseen
Doonbeg Written by Andres Coronado Directed by Octavio Montes De Oca
The Ubermarionettes Written by Kim Cambpell Directed by Sivan Spector
I’d Much Rather Be Painting… Written by Kolin Lawler Directed by Devon Hayakawa
Jimmy Wayne and The Sound… Written by Jamaque Newberry Directed by Izadorius Tortuga
Herakles Written by Kevin Blair Directed by Rebecca Schilsky
The Hottest Fall Written by Ky Baity Directed by Keimon Shook
Dread Merchants Written by Andrew Piechota Directed by Faith Hart
A Life of Luxury Written by Keegon Schuett Directed by Liam Shannon
Re(Vulva) Written by Sam Hurley Directed by McManus
The Trick of Threes Written by Annika Andersson Directed by Kayla Menz
She Can Declare a Hurricane* Written by Melanie Coffey Directed by Rashaad Bond
Recess* Written by Mikayla De Guzman Directed by Erin Sheets
Dirt Girls* Written by Grace Reasoner Directed by Oskar Westbridge
Crossing* Written by Morris Mclennan Directed by Tyler Struble
Cozy* Written by Daphne Gussler Directed by Patrick Starner
Red Devil* Written by Andrea Berting Directed by Allie Robinson
Witchcraft, Bitchcraft* Written by Emma Durbin Directed by Ben F. Locke
Crush(ed)* Written by Maria Arreola Directed by Jo JB Schafer
Petunia* Written by Genevieve Swanson Directed by Karina Patel
You Must Be The Mom* Written by Steven San Luis Directed by Alexis Vaselopulos
*= Pocket Playfest
Previous Participants
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Kandace Mack
Playwright - 2025
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Keimon Shook
Director - 2024, 2025
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Zoé Soteres
Playwright - 2025
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Stefan Roseen
Director - 2025
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Andres Coronado
Playwright - 2025
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Octavio Montes De Oca
Director - 2025
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Kimzyn Campbell
Playwright - 2025
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Sivan Spector
Director - 2025
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Kolin Lawler
Playwright - 2025
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Devon Hayakawa
Director - 2025
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Jamaque Newberry
Playwright - 2025
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Izadorius Tortuga
Director - 2025
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Kevin Blair
Playwright - 2024
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Rebecca Schilsky
Director - 2024
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Ky Baity
Playwright - 2024
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Andrew Piechota
Playwright - 2024
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Faith Hart
Director - 2024
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Sam Hurley
Playwright - 2024
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McManus
Director - 2024
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Annika Andersson
Playwright - 2024
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Kayla Menz
Director - 2024
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Rashaad Bond
Director - 2023
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Erin Sheets
Director - 2023
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Karina Patel
Director - 2022
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Maria I. Arreola
Playwright - 2022
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Emma Durbin
Playwright - 2022
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Ben F. Locke
Director - 2022
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Steven San Luis
Playwright - 2022
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Melanie Coffey
Playwright - 2023
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Alexis Vaselopulos
Director - 2022
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Daphne Gussler
Playwright - 2023
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Grace Reasoner
Playwright - 2023
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Tyler Struble
Director - 2023
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Oskar Westbridge
Director - 2023
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Morris Mclennan
Playwright - 2023
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Jo Schaffer
Director - 2022
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Mikayla De Guzman
Playwright - 2023
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Genevieve Swanson
Playwright - 2022
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Allie Robinson
Director - 2023
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Andrea Berting
Playwright - 2023
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Patrick Starner
Director - 2023
Produced by
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Brandii Champagne - Producer
(They/Any) Brandii is a Louisiana native but a Chicagoan at heart, and is thrilled to be one of the porducers for INC. On top of being one of Theatre L’Acadie’s (Co) Artistic Directors, Brandii is also always collaborating with super rad artists all over Chicago. Some of their recent Chicago credits include Bottle Fly (AD - Red Twist) If This is the End (Director - TL), & The Swan (Actor & Scenic Designer - TL. A lover of all things art and food, they also likes to spend their time seeing stuff (you know, theatre, traveling, exploring) and makin’ things (aka. art and food and love and messes). Brandii loves to watch scary movies and snuggle up with their stinky pets - Prue and Mackie. Check out more of their work:
instagram: @brandii.champagne
website: brandiichampagne.com
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Erin Sheets - Producer
Erin Sheets is a director, producer, intimacy director, and co-Artistic Director of Theatre L'Acadie. In Chicago, Erin has worked with Trap Door Theatre, Redtwist Theatre, Big Noise Theatre, Facility Theatre, Imposters Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Artemisia Theatre, and Possibilities Theatre, among others. Notable projects include Right Now (Intimacy Director, Facility, 2023 Non-Equity Jeff Award - Best Ensemble), Motherhouse (Assistant Director, Rivendell, 2022 Equity Jeff Award - Best New Work), and the World Premiere of Bottle Fly (Intimacy Director, Redtwist). As a Director, Erin has been honored to lead recent productions such as Grey Gardens The Musical (Big Noise, 2023 Lou Award Nomination - Best Production) and the World Premiere of Today Tonight Soon by Melanie Coffey (Theatre L'Acadie). When not making theatre, Erin likes to complain about not making enough theatre. Learn more about her work at erinesheets.com!
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Joel Willison - Producer
Joel Willison is a director, producer, and Artistic Director of Pocket Theatre VR. As a producer, he focuses on new work development - curating a space for new/early-career artists to understand their craft and collaborate in community.
Recent credits include working with Jackalope Theatre, Definition Theatre, Assistant Directing for Mikael Burke for Jeff Award winner Tale of Two Cities (2025, Shattered Globe Theatre Company, Direction etc.) and Jeff Award winner Tambo and Bones (2023, Refracted Theatre Company, Direction etc.), The Runaways Lab Theater, Playground - Chicago, Haven, Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble, Stage Left Theatre, Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, and Virtual Theatre Collaboration.
instagram: @willisonjoel
website: joelwillison.com
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Rachel Borgo - Associate Producer
Rachel is the executive director of The Impostors Theatre Co. (ITC) and a multi-hyphenate theatremaker. Most recently, Rachel served as the director of Monstrous by Stephanie Lewis, her mainstage debut with the company. She has been the production director of anthology series Footholds for the last four years. She also performed as Puck in Dominick Alesia’s Jeff Recommended Helena & Hermia in the Enamored Odyssey (ITC). Additionally, Rachel served as the stage manager for the Jeff Nominated original musical Miranda: A War-Torn Fable (ITC); playwright/director of the new immersive play Body of Work (Montpelier Arts Center); playwright/stage manager of Jeff Nominated Hertha Nova (ITC); assistant director of Footholds 2020: A Socially Distant Film (ITC); dramaturg on various ITC productions, and build/paint crew on every ITC production. Outside of the theatre, Rachel works full time as a ghostwriter, editor, and book coach, supporting authors of varied backgrounds across a multitude of genres.
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Madie Doppelt - Dramaturg
Madie Doppelt is a Chicago-based theater and circus artist. She is the resident dramaturg of Freshly Brewed, the monthly reading series at The Understudy Coffee and Books. Madie can be found on and off the stage, frequently collaborating with The Actors Gymnasium and Snail on a Bike Theatre Collective. She is so excited to be dramaturgy the Inc. Ubator series and is passionate about new play dramaturgy! Madie is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she earned a BFA in Playwriting and a BA in English Literature.
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Cori Lang - Dramaturg
Cori Lang is a multi-faceted theatre artist and arts administrator. Currently, they are serving as the Literary Manager for Black Cat Theatre Company. Chicago dramaturgy credits include: Goodman Theatre (Literary and Dramaturgy Intern 23/24 season), Quinlyn Can Paint (Black Cat Theatre), The Pilon (Freshly Brewed), We Pump Your Gas in Jersey (Theatre L'Acadie), What the Weird Sisters Saw (Idle Muse Theatre Company), Galileo’s Daughter (Asst. Dramaturg) and Gods Spies (New Play Workshop, Dramaturg) with Remy Bumppo Theatre Company. In 2023, Cori’s short play, the jacaranda tree, was produced as a staged reading by Black Cat Theatre Company. She also serves as the Production Manager for the Chicago treble choir, La Caccina.
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Molly Sharfstein - Dramaturg
Molly Sharfstein is a Chicago-based dramaturg and puppet artist from Santa Cruz, CA. She holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she focused on dramaturgy and devising. Her dramaturgy centers experientiality: facilitating connections through object-based learning, activities, and discussion. She also uses dramaturgy to embody research—she co-created and co-taught the Research Ensemble class sequence at The Theatre School, which uses theatre for science communication.
Recent professional credits include: House of the Exquisite Corpse V: Blood and Puppets (Rough House Puppet co.), Falsettos (Court and TimeLine Theatre), and House of the Exquisite Corpse IV: Superstition (Rough House Puppet Co.).