Chicago Children's Theatre
Ashlea Woodley (Wleklinski) serves as the Northshore Community Resources Coordinator at Arts of Life, Inc. since March 2023, while concurrently holding the position of Co Artistic Director at Proboscis Theatre Company since October 2021. As a Professional Actor, Ashlea has been involved with MPAACT since November 2019 and has worked with Chicago Children's Theatre as a Teaching Artist since June 2019. Previous experience includes acting roles at GreatWorks Theatre and On the Spot Theatre, as well as teaching Meisner acting classes at Green Shirt Studio. Ashlea also worked as an English Second Language Teacher for VIPKid and held positions as a Barista/Barista Trainer at Starbucks. Ashlea's educational background features a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from DePaul University, as well as degrees from Marquette University and Cardinal Stritch University. Additionally, Ashlea contributed as an Artist Member and Vice Chair at Cooperative Performance Milwaukee from July 2013 to July 2017.
Chicago Children's Theatre
Chicago Children’s Theatre has evolved as both a professional and personal response to the lack of a Chicago company dedicated exclusively to providing high-quality, professional year-round children’s programming. Since its founding, Chicago Children’s Theatre has rigorously pursued its mission to enrich our communities through diverse, educational, and significant theatrical programming that engages and inspires the child in all of us. After the success of its launch production of A Year With Frog and Toad in January 2006 at Goodman Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre continues to provide Chicago children and families with the highest level professional theatre programming. There has been tremendous critical and popular support of Chicago Children’s Theatre and its audience continues to grow. In just over six years since the theatre’s inception in 2005, more than 180,000 youth and families have attended its productions.