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Community Theatre

Divisional Events and Meetings


To contact the Community Theatre representatives and/or join the Committee, please email communitytheatre@illinoistheatre.org.

Division Representatives


Karen Shuman

Expires 2027


Karen Shuman has been performing, directing, choreographing and teaching for the past 30 years. She holds a B.A. from Brandeis University and an M.A. in Theater from Northwestern University. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and studied with Byrne Piven (Piven Theater). Karen was one of the first Spielberg Fellows and a scholarship member of ATJT (San Francisco). Karen has dance training in Ballet, Jazz, Afro-Caribbean/Afro-Cuban Folk, Modern, and Hip-Hop. She studied and/or performed at the Edna Manley School of Visual and Performing Arts (Jamaica), Gus Giordano, and was a scholarship student at Joel Hall. Karen served as the Artistic Director/Executive Producer of the Miss Illinois Scholarship Pageant for a decade. Karen has taught Theater and Communication in higher education for 25 years, and sixteen of them have been at McHenry County College, where she currently teaches. She is excited and honored to be a member of the ITA Board.



Laura Palti

Expires 2026

Laura Palti serves as the Executive Director of Debut Theatre, where she leads the organization’s mission to inspire, educate, and engage audiences through the power of live performance. With a strong background in administration and community engagement, Laura is dedicated to supporting both emerging and established artists while ensuring theater remains accessible to all.

Before joining Debut Theatre, Laura held leadership roles in property management at Neder Capital, where she focused on building collaborative partnerships, expanding community outreach, and strengthening organizational growth. She is especially passionate about nurturing young talent and fostering a vibrant arts community that reflects diverse voices and stories.

Under her leadership, Debut Theatre continues to grow as a creative hub, offering innovative productions and programs that connect audiences of all ages. Laura believes deeply in theater’s ability to spark dialogue, strengthen communities, and celebrate the shared human experience.



Upcoming events

  • ITA 2026 Come Together Community Theatre Festival

    • 11/07/2026
    • 11/08/2026
    • Morton College Jedlicka Performing Arts Center, 3801 S Central Ave, Cicero, IL 60804
    Register

     

    Come Together: The Heartbeat of Community Theatre in Illinois

     

    There is something uniquely powerful about community theatre. It’s more than a stage and it’s more than lights and lines. It’s a gathering place. It’s where strangers become castmates, where castmates become friends and friends become family. This year’s theme for Illinois’ bi-annual community theatre festival, Come Together, beautifully captures the essence of what community theatre has always been, and continues to be, across Illinois.

     

    In towns big and small across our state, community theatres serve as creative homes. They welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels. That spirit of inclusion is what makes community theatre so special. It doesn’t just invite participation; it depends on it.

     

    Come Together celebrates the collaborative art that is the essence of community theatre. Your theatre can participate in our biannual play competition with a chance to represent our state and our region at the American Association of Community Theatre’s AACTFest in June of 2027. You’ll be able to network with other theatre makers and celebrate the very essence of community theatre.

     

    Come Together will be Nov. 7th and 8th at Morton College (time TBD).

    For more information contact communitytheatre@illinoistheatre.org.


    Show details

Past Event Recordings


Thanks to the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) for awarding ITA with a "Certificate of Appreciation" after the 2023 Illinois State Community Theatre Festival! 


© 2022 Illinois Theatre Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. 4055 W. Peterson Ave., Chicago, IL 60646

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